Diastereomer

Diastereomer (pronunciation: /daɪˈæstɪroʊmər/) is a term used in Chemistry to describe a type of Stereoisomer where two or more stereoisomers of a compound have different configurations at one or more (but not all) of the equivalent (related) carbon atoms, these are termed diastereoisomers. This is in contrast to Enantiomers, which are stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other.

Etymology

The term "Diastereomer" is derived from the Greek words "dia" which means "through" and "stereos" which means "solid". This term was first used in the early 20th century to describe a specific type of stereoisomer.

Related Terms

• Stereoisomer: Stereoisomers are isomeric molecules that have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms, but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space.
• Enantiomer: Enantiomers are a type of stereoisomer that are mirror images of each other, similar to left and right hands.
• Chirality (chemistry): Chirality is a property of a molecule that is non-superimposable on its mirror image.
• Isomer: Isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but different chemical structures.

See Also

• Optical isomerism
• Geometric isomerism
• Cis-trans isomerism

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