In the Felkin model, a carbon which is originally achiral can undergo a reaction to generate a single enantiomer with 98% yield (with the remaining 2% generating the opposite enantiomer). This type of reaction is best described as:
A) Chiral chromatography
B) Racemization
C) Asymmetric induction
D) Unimolecular elimination
Explanation
Asymmetric induction (or enantioinduction) is the process of turning a non-chiral carbon into a chiral carbon, with an end product that produces an asymmetric result – one enantiomer is vastly preferred over the other. Thus (C) is the best description.
A: Chromatography is the process of separating out components of mixture. The process described in the question doesn’t describe any separation.
B: Racemization is, in a sense, the opposite of what’s described in the question. A mixture which has one chiral form undergoes a reaction resulting in equal amounts of the two enantiomers – thereby turning an optically active mixture into an optically inactive racemic mixture.
D: The actual reaction mechanism is not discussed, so we have no reason to suspect that the Felkim model is based on an E1 reaction mechanism.
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