Optically active?

[JeetKuneDo]

How do you know if a compound is optically active? Is it if it has no chiral centers?

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[Doodl3s]

its the opposite, optically active compounds will have chiral centers. One enantiomeric version will rotate light one way, the mirror image will rotate it the opposite way.

 

[sv3]

be careful of meso compounds
these are compounds with internal planes of symmetry and have an even # of chiral centers.

they do not rotate light

 

[AliDeLaLouisa]

A compound is optically active if it has the ability to rotate plane polarized light.

With meso compounds they have a image that can be superimposed, thus they are not optically active.

IF a plane of symmetry exists then the molecule is not optically active.

 

[matth87]

Meso compounds will have 2 or more even number of chiral centers and an internal plane of symmetry. They will be optically inactive!

 

[AliDeLaLouisa]

Meso compounds will have 2 or more even number of chiral centers and an internal plane of symmetry. They will be optically inactive!

Im saying the same thing you are. Meso compounds have a mirror image this is superimposable, thus they are not optically active.

and yes they have a mirror plane of symmetry.🙄