Question

Which of the following amines can be used to resolve a racemic mixture of amino acids?

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Short answer

(c)

(d)

Step-by-step solution

Racemic mixture

Racemic mixture shows two enantiomers of equal amount/mirror image of a compound with zero optical rotation.Chiral compound mostly shows racemic mixture and is denoted as d/l.

Chirality

A compound is said to be chiral if a carbon atom is attached with four different groups. Amines that show chiral are used to resolve racemic mixture.

Examine chiral compound

(a) ${\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{NH}}_2$is achiral in nature. So, 2-phenylethyl amine can’t be used to resolve a racemic mixture of amino acid.

${\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{NH}}_2$

Achiral

(b) Heptane nitrile is achiral so it can’t be used to resolve a racemic mixture of amino acid.

Achiral

(c) n-butyl amine shows chirality as carbon is attached with hydrogen, amino, methyl and ethyl group. So it can be used to resolve a racemic mixture of amino acid.

(d)This compound shows chirality so it can be used to resolve a racemic mixture of amino acid.

Chiral