If the Starting Material Has No Stereogenic Centers, When Carbonyl

question 15

Multiple Choice

If the starting material has no stereogenic centers, when carbonyl compounds are reduced with a reagent such as LiAlH₄ or NaBH₄ and a new stereogenic center is formed, what will the composition of the product mixture be?

• A) Forms a racemic mixture of the two possible enantiomers
• B) Forms more of one enantiomer than another because of steric reasons around the carbonyl
• C) Forms more of one enantiomer than another depending on the temperature of the reaction
• D) Forms different products depending on the solvent used

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Definitions:

Molecules

The smallest unit of a chemical compound that can exist; composed of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.

Hydrogen Bond

A fragile connection between two molecules caused by the electrostatic pull between a proton in one molecule and an atom with a strong electron attraction in the other.

Compound

A chemical entity that results from the combination of atoms from two or more different elements in a specific proportion and structure.

Molecules

Groups of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds, constituting the smallest identifiable unit of a compound.