IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v446y2007i7135d10.1038_nature05653.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Absolute configuration of chirally deuterated neopentane

Author

Listed:
  • J. Haesler

    (University of Fribourg, ch. du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

  • I. Schindelholz

    (University of Fribourg, ch. du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

  • E. Riguet

    (University of Fribourg, ch. du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

  • C. G. Bochet

    (University of Fribourg, ch. du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

  • W. Hug

    (University of Fribourg, ch. du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

Abstract

Reflections on neopentane A molecule is 'chiral' when it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image; this property is of decisive importance throughout nature, as DNA, proteins, and many small molecules are chiral. Anomalous X-ray scattering has become the definitive method for determining the absolute configuration of a molecule, but this approach cannot be used unless the molecule contains a 'heavy' atom (for example, bromine). Haesler et al. now show that instrumental advances in Raman optical activity, combined with quantum chemical computations, have made it possible to determine the absolute configuration of molecules that do not contain a heavy atom — in this case, a specially synthesized chirally deuterated version of neopentane that represents the archetype of all molecules that are chiral as a result of a dissymmetric mass distribution. The unequivocal spectroscopic determination of the absolute configuration of this molecule presented a major challenge, one that was at the very limit of what is possible.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Haesler & I. Schindelholz & E. Riguet & C. G. Bochet & W. Hug, 2007. "Absolute configuration of chirally deuterated neopentane," Nature, Nature, vol. 446(7135), pages 526-529, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:446:y:2007:i:7135:d:10.1038_nature05653
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05653
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05653
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature05653?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:446:y:2007:i:7135:d:10.1038_nature05653. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.