TABLE OF CONTENTS Compounds that have the same molecular formula but different properties (either physical and chemical or only physical) are known as isomers, and the phenomenon is known as isomerism. When isomerism is caused by the different arrangements of atoms or groups in space, the phenomenon is called stereoisomerism (Greek stereos = occupying space). The isomers that differ in their 3D structures are known as stereoisomers or stereomers. The stereomers have the same structural formula but differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms or groups in the molecule. In other words, stereoisomerism is exhibited by compounds that have an identical molecular structure but different configurations. The stereoisomerism can be classified into two categories:
Configurational isomerism
Conformational isomerism
The stereoisomers that are nonsuperimposable and noninterconvertible by rotation around single bonds are known as configurational isomers, and the phenomenon is known as configurational isomerism. The configurational isomers can be interconverted only by breaking and making bonds. These isomers may further be of two types:
Enantiomers ( Optical Isomers): When the two isomers are the mirror image of each other, they are known as enantiomers. This is also known as inversional isomerism.
Diastereomers ( Geometrical...
