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NEET levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 1 of 3st221

The compound shown is butan-2-ol drawn without stereochemistry. Which statement about it is correct?

AIt has one stereocentre and exists as a pair of enantiomers
BIt has no stereocentre and is achiral
CIt has two stereocentres and one meso form
DIt is achiral because it has a plane of symmetry through C2

Answer: A

C2 of butan-2-ol carries four different groups:

H

,

OH

,

CH X_{3}

and

C X_{2} H X_{5}

. A carbon with four different groups is a stereocentre and the molecule has no plane of symmetry, so it is chiral. One stereocentre gives

2^{1} = 2

stereoisomers, the

(R)

and

(S)

enantiomers.

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