CAIE A Level Chemistry 9701 · An introduction to organic chemistry

An introduction to organic chemistry: compare question

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A chiral drug molecule is synthesised as a racemic mixture. Compare the two enantiomers of this drug in terms of their physical properties, their effect on plane-polarised light, and their biological activity. Explain why it is important to obtain a single pure enantiomer rather than using the racemic mixture. Also, compare two methods by which a single pure enantiomer can be obtained, one involving separation of a racemic mixture and the other involving the use of a chiral catalyst.

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Compare means: Give similarities or differences between two things, and say which side each point belongs to. Write each point as a pair, for example: A is X, whereas B is Y. Two separate descriptions rarely earn the marks.

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