Optically pure product

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I just finished DAT qVAULT orgo test #2 and there is one question that I can't seem to wrap my head around... The question asks, Which of the following reactions will give an optically pure product? And the answer is 2-chloro pentane reacting with NaCN... Can someone explain to me why this is the case?

Does optically pure product refer to a product that only has ONE chiral center...?

read the question wrong =P.. sorry

was reviewing my notes for chad at the same time and was on the optically inactive section XD

No that's wrong.

Optically pure means it only has one enantiomer. Since this reaction undergoes sn2 -CN is a typical substitution nucleophile for sn2 chemistry then it forms the inverse product only. All the product will have one chiral center.

Basically you wont have a racemic mixture at all (when both enantiomers are in solution like sn1 chemistry does)

But when you react 2-chloro pentane with NaCN, dont you get 2-methyl-1-pentamine, which has a chiral center at carbon #2?

Originally Posted by koreano

Does optically pure product refer to a product that only has ONE chiral center...?

And optically INACTIVE is when the product is achiral (or meso, watch out for those!)

I thought so... Thanks ah7391

Np! Thank chad!