CAIE A Level Chemistry 9701 · An introduction to organic chemistry
Ibuprofen contains a chiral centre. The (S)-enantiomer is active as an analgesic, whereas the (R)-enantiomer is inactive. Ibuprofen is usually manufactured as a racemic mixture. Describe the relevance of chirality to the synthetic preparation of ibuprofen, including the properties of enantiomers, the nature of a racemic mixture, and how a single pure enantiomer could be obtained.
7 marks, so the mark scheme is looking for about 7 separate creditworthy points. Making the same point twice in different words earns it once.
Describe means: Say what happens or what something is like, in order and with detail. You are not being asked why. If there is data, quote it: name the trend, then give figures with units at the points where it changes.
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