What is the stereochemical configuration of (R)-2-butanol?

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

Solution: (R)-2-butanol has the R configuration at the chiral center.

Steps: 8

Step 1: Identify the chiral center in 2-butanol. A chiral center is a carbon atom that is attached to four different groups.
Step 2: Look at the structure of 2-butanol. The chiral center is the second carbon (C-2) in the chain.
Step 3: Determine the four groups attached to the chiral center (C-2). They are: a hydroxyl group (-OH), a methyl group (-CH3), an ethyl group (-C2H5), and a hydrogen atom (H).
Step 4: Assign priority to the four groups based on the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog priority rules. The group with the highest atomic number gets the highest priority.
Step 5: Arrange the groups around the chiral center in order of priority (1 to 4).
Step 6: Visualize or draw the molecule to see the arrangement. If the lowest priority group (4) is pointing away from you, determine the order of the other three groups.
Step 7: If the order of the groups from highest to lowest priority (1 to 3) is clockwise, the configuration is (R). If it is counterclockwise, the configuration is (S).
Step 8: For (R)-2-butanol, the arrangement is clockwise, confirming that it has the R configuration.