Question

What is the maximum number of stereoisomers possible for each compound?

a.

b.

c.

Short answer

a. The maximum number of possible stereoisomers in compound a is 4.

b. The maximum number of possible stereoisomers in compound b is 0.

c. The maximum number of possible stereoisomers in compound c is 16.

Step-by-step solution

Stereoisomers

Isomers exhibiting an alteration in atomic arrangement but possess equivalent molecular formulas are stereoisomers.Stereoisomers can be of various kinds, and they include enantiomers and diastereomers.

Formula to evaluate the count of stereoisomers

The number of stereoisomers can be found by the formula as follows:

${\text{Numberofsteroeisomers=2}}^n$

Here, n is the number of chiral centers.

Stereoisomers in compounds a, b, and c

a. The number of chiral centers in compound a is two.

The chiral centers in the molecule a are represented as asterisk as follows:

Chiral centers in the molecule a

So, the number of stereoisomers can be given as follows:

$$\begin{gathered} {\text{Numberofstereosimers=2}}^n \\ =2^2 \\ =4 \end{gathered}$$

Hence, the maximum number of possible isomers for compound a is four.

b. The number of chiral centers in compound b is zero.

Hence, the given compound cannot form stereoisomers.

c. The number of chiral centers in compound c is four.

The chiral centers in molecule c can be represented as asterisk as follows:

Chiral centers in the molecule c

So the number of stereoisomers in compound c can be given as follows:

$$\begin{gathered} {\text{Numberofstereosimers=2}}^n \\ =2^4 \\ =16 \end{gathered}$$

Hence, the maximum number of possible isomers for compound c is 16.