racemic mixture?

Question

In racemic mixture,Why both enantiomers of compound present in equal amounts?Do u know the reasons?Also tell me What's the importance of racemic mixture ?

Answer 1

Racemic mixture: an equimolar mixture of two enantiomers, designated (+/-), e.g., (+/-)-alanine
because a racemic mixture contains equal numbers of dextrorotatory and levorotatory molecules, its specific rotation is zero degrees
Resolution: the separation of a racemic mixture into its enantiomers
Some chiral drugs are sold as racemic mixtures, others as a single enantiomer
When chemicals are synthesized in the lab you get both enantiomers. The body usually uses the Levo form but can convert the Dextro form to Levo through enzymatic reactions. Because some drugs cannot be converted to the biological useful form, the chemists will seperate them before being sold.

Answer 2

Racemic Mixture Example

Answer 3

A racemic mixture is usually made in a laboratory. When you do things in a laboratory, without the aid of an enzyme, you have no way to controll the resulting stereochemistry from the reaction and both enantiomners will result in equal amounts.

Racemic mixtures are easier to make. However, some drugs like thalidomide have shown that problems can occur when the wrong enantiomer is present. Also, remember that racemic mixtures are never made in a biological system. A chiral system will always make the same enantiomer.

Answer 4

when you go from an achiral molecule to a chiral molecule there is an equal chance of getting both sterioisomers. we call that a racemic mixture. there is an equal chance because there are normally 2 ways of adding a compound from the front and from the back. Racemic mixtures are more of a pain than useful. Normally you want one enantiomer over the other so you have to separate 1 from the other.

Answer 5

ENANTIOMERS are compounds having same molecular formula and with a different structural arrangement, mainl warying in their property of changing the path of plane polarised light when used separately. but when they are mixed together in equal proportions they form racemic mixture.
As you know the plane polarised light passing through the racemic mixture doesnot get deviated at any angles and obtained as it is such.
The reason is one of the enantiomer which is for example let us take d-lactic acid, rotates the plane polarised light passing through them in a CLOCK-WISE DIRECTION. The other enantiomer l-lactic acid rotates the plane polarised light in ANTI-CLOCKWISE DIRECTION. Thus the rotation of light is internally compensated, as u see the effect cancels each other.
But when uneven quantities of these compounds are mixed there may not be even internal compensation as i have said earlier. Take for example, when u want to get a 0, then u must try to add +5 and -5. when u add +6 and -5 you may not get zero. either the positive or negative result is got. likewise in the rotation too. when d-lactic acid is added more, the emergent light turns clockwise. likewise when l-lactic acid is added more the emergent light turns in anticlockwise direction