Molecular imaging, optically active

A molecule is chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image (or if it does not possess an alternating axis of symmetry) and would exhibit optical activity, i.e. lead to the rotation of the plane of polarization of polarized light. Lactic acid, which has the structure (2 mirror images) shown exhibits molecular chirality. In this the central carbon atom is said to be chiral but strictly it is the environment which is chiral. 

In certain crystals, e.g. in quartz, there is chirality in the crystal structure. Molecular chirality is possible in compounds which have no chiral carbon atoms and yet possess non-superimposable mirror image structures. Restricted rotation about the C=C = C bonds in an allene abC = C = Cba causes chirality and the existence of two optically active forms (i)... 

The inactivity in the molecule is due to the fact that it is perfectly symmetric as shown by the dotted line, the upper half exactly coinciding with the lower half. Therefore, molecular asymmetry and not the presence of asymmetric carbon atoms is responsible for optical activity. Since the term asymmetric has been found to be inadequate, now the term chirality has been introduced. The word chiral (the Greek word cheir means hand pronounced kiral) signifies, the property of Handedness . An object that in not superimposable upon its mirror image is chiral and this mirror-image relationship is the same as left hand has with the right. If an object and its mirror image can be made to coincide in space, they are said to be achiral. 

Optical Activity in the Series.—Another type of isomerism is possible in the series, for the as-diehloro-salts present a case of molecular asymmetry similar to that observed in 1-, 2-dinitro-diethylenediamino-cobalt salts. Two configurations are possible, the one being the mirror image of the other, thus ... 

Many substances can rotate the plane of polarization of a ray of plane polarized light. These substances are said to be optically active. The first detailed analysis of this phenomenon was made by Biot, who found not only the rotation of the plane of polarization by various materials (rotatory polarization) but also the variation of the rotation with wavelength (rotatory dispersion). This work was followed up by Pasteur, Biot s student, who separated an optically inactive crystalline material (sodium ammonium tartrate) into two species which were of different crystalline form and were separately optically active. These two species rotated the plane of polarized light equally but in opposite directions and Pasteur recognized that the only difference between them was that the crystal form of one was the mirror image of the other. We know to-day, in molecular terms, that the one necessary and sufficient condition for a substance to exhibit optical activity is that its molecular structure be such that it cannot be superimposed on its image obtained by reflection in a mirror. When this condition is satisfied the molecule exists in two forms, showing equal but opposite optical properties and the two forms are called enantiomers. 

Pasteur showed that optical activity was related to molecular right- or left-handedness (chirality). Later, van t Hoff and LeBel proposed that the four valences of carbon are directed toward the corners of a tetrahedron. If the four attached groups are different, two arrangements are possible and are related as an object and its nonsuperimposable mirror image. Enantiomers differ only in chiral (or handed) properties, such as the direction of rotation of plane-polarized light. They have identical achiral properties, such as melting and boiling points. 

The fact that CPL and FDCD instruments are not commercially available, and, therefore must be constructed in individual research laboratories, has certainly affected the quantity of applications of these chiroptical techniques. Nevertheless, both have been shown to provide interesting, important, and often unique information concerning the structure and dynamics of optically active molecules. As needs develop for more selective and sensitive detection or imaging of chiral molecules or chiral molecular systems, the range of applications of CPL and FDCD will certainly increase, and these spectroscopic techniques should become even more important tools of molecular stereochemistry. 

Even a simple strained molecule can show conformational enantiomerism. trans-Cyclooctene is the smallest stable trans-cycloalkene, and it is strained. If trans-cyclooctene existed as a planar ring, even for an instant, it could not be chiral. Make a molecular model of trans-cyclooctene, however, and you will see that it cannot exist as a planar ring. Its ring is folded into the three-dimensional structure pictured in Figure 5-18. The mirror image of this structure is different, and trans-cyclooctene is a chiral molecule. In fact, the enantiomers of iran.v-cyclooclcnc have been separated and characterized, and they are optically active. 

It can be seen from molecular models that two diastereoisomers are possible for the ferric enterobactin complex, A-cis and A-cis. These are not mirror images because of the optical activity of the ligand. The similarity of the roles played by the ferrichromes and enterobactin lent additional speculative interest to the preferred absolute configuration of the iron complex (20). The structural studies of the tris catechol complexes (vide infra) and the spectroscopic properties of the chromic... 

The majority of syntheses of organic compounds is performed under macroscopic symmetrical conditions, thus optical activity is not resulted. The product is the racemate containing two mirror image isomers that can be separated by molecular chiral recognition. 

The two glyceraldehyde isomers of 4-13 are identical in all physical properties except that they rotate the plane of polarized light in opposite directions and form enantiomorphous crystals. When more than one asymmetric center is present in a low-molecular-weight species, however, stereoisomers are formed which are not mirror images of each other and which may differ in many physical properties. An example of a compound with two asymmetric carbons (a diastereomer) is tartaric acid, 4-16, which can exist in two optically active forms (d and L, mp 170 C), an optically inactive form (meso, mp 140 C), and as an optically inactive mixture (dl racemic, mp 206°C). 

We say that such molecular structures are asymmetric, and it is the asymmetry around the carbon atoms which enables the formation of a pair of optically active isomers. The isomers are mirror images of each other (Figure 6.4.17). 

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