Answer to Question #179142 in Organic Chemistry for Sam

Question

Examine the importance and impact of isomerism in industry – research case studies in order to consider the formation of different isomers during manufacture,

• Thalidomide babies

• One of the isomers is a treatment for Parkinson’s disease

• Spearmint

• how their presence may influence the industrial process, the differences in properties that they might have, and the possible consequences of ignoring the presence of isomerism.

• Yield/cost/ health & safety

• 50:50 ratio (racemic mixture )- 

• D-isomer:L-isomer 

• Stereoisomers ( +/- = rotate the polarised light to the right +) or to the left (-)

• Stereospecificity 

• D (+) – dextrorotatory isomer

• L (-) – Laevorotatory isomer

Answer 1

Drug isomerism has opened a new era of drug development. Currently, knowledge of isomerism has helped us in introducing safer and more effective drug alternatives of the newer as well as existing drugs. Many existing drugs have gone chiral switch i.e., switching from racemic mixture to one of its isomers.