Applicable to questions about the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and how they affect its physical or chemical properties.
Tag usage
This tag should be used on questions such as (but not limited to):
- The properties of stereoisomers, both enantiomers and diastereomers (see also: isomers and chirality)
- The nomenclature of such isomers according to Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules or other conventions (e.g. +/-, ᴅ/ʟ) (see also: nomenclature)
- The study of different conformations of a molecule (see also: conformers)
- Particular spatial arrangements of atoms required for a reaction to proceed (see also: stereoelectronics)
- The creation of new stereoisomers in a chemical reaction (see also: selectivity and reaction-mechanism)
Definition
Stereochemistry is the discipline of chemistry which describes the relative spatial arrangement of atoms in molecules.
Further reading
Stereochemistry is a concept most commonly encountered in the field of organic chemistry, and aside from the usual major textbooks, a classic reference is Eliel's Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds. However, it is equally applicable to inorganic compounds and is well-described in all major textbooks.
