What is the stereochemical configuration of 2-butanol?

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Q: What is the stereochemical configuration of 2-butanol?

Solution: 2-Butanol has a chiral center and can exist as both R and S enantiomers.

Steps: 6

Step 1: Identify the structure of 2-butanol. It has a four-carbon chain with an -OH (hydroxyl) group on the second carbon.
Step 2: Determine if there is a chiral center. A chiral center is a carbon atom that is attached to four different groups.
Step 3: In 2-butanol, the second carbon (C2) is attached to an -OH group, a hydrogen atom, a methyl group (-CH3), and an ethyl group (-C2H5). This means C2 is a chiral center.
Step 4: Assign the priority of the groups attached to the chiral center based on the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules.
Step 5: Determine the configuration of the chiral center. If the order of the groups is clockwise, it is R (rectus). If it is counterclockwise, it is S (sinister).
Step 6: Conclude that 2-butanol can exist in two forms: R-2-butanol and S-2-butanol, which are enantiomers.