CHAPTER 3: Question 11
Simple Answers
The circularly polarized light selectively isomerizes one of the two enantiomers
of trans-cyclooctene to the achiral cis isomer. Thus, provided the
reaction is stopped before all of the trans-cyclooctene has been
isomerized, the unreacted trans-isomer will be optically active.
The importance of this reaction is that it illustrates one of the possible
ways in which achiral or racemic prebiotic chemicals could be transformed
into non-racemic products.
This example is taken from: Y. Inoue, H. Tsuneishi, T. Hakushi, K. Yagi,
K. Awazu, and H. Onuki; J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1996,
2627-8.
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