Chirality and Asymmetric Synthesis Quiz

Asymmetric synthesis aims to:

• Maximize the yield of a reaction

• Minimize the formation of byproducts

• Produce chiral compounds with a high degree of enantioselectivity

• Increase the reaction rate

A chiral molecule is one that:

• Is mirror-image superimposable on itself

• Is not mirror-image superimposable on itself

• Has a plane of symmetry

• Has a center of symmetry

Enantioselectivity is defined as:

• The ability to preferentially produce one enantiomer over the other

• The ability to produce a racemic mixture

• The rate at which a reaction occurs

• The stereochemistry of the product

A chiral auxiliary is:

• A reagent used to induce chirality in a reaction

• A catalyst used to increase the rate of a reaction

• A solvent used to improve the solubility of reactants

• A protecting group used to prevent unwanted reactions

The most common method for introducing chirality into a molecule is:

• Using a chiral catalyst

• Using a chiral starting material

• Using a chiral solvent

• Using a chiral reagent

A chiral catalyst is:

• A molecule that can catalyze a reaction and induce chirality in the product

• A molecule that can accelerate a reaction but does not affect the chirality of the product

• A molecule that can be used to protect a functional group

• A molecule that can be used to purify a product

A common chiral catalyst used in asymmetric synthesis is:

• Wilkinson's catalyst

• Lindlar's catalyst

• BINAP

• Grubbs' catalyst

A chiral starting material is:

• A molecule that is already chiral before the reaction

• A molecule that becomes chiral during the reaction

• A molecule that is achiral before and after the reaction

• A molecule that is used to protect a functional group

The enantiomeric excess (ee) of a product is calculated as:

• (Excess of one enantiomer / Total amount of product) x 100

• (Excess of one enantiomer / Excess of the other enantiomer) x 100

• (Total amount of product / Excess of one enantiomer) x 100

• (Excess of the other enantiomer / Excess of one enantiomer) x 100

A perfect enantioselective reaction would have an ee of:

• 0%

• 50%

• 100%

• Any value between 0% and 100%