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What are racemic mixture. and what are some examples
Accepted Answer
A racemic mixture is a mixture that contains equal amounts of two enantiomers (stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other). This means the mixture has no net optical activity, as the rotations of the enantiomers cancel each other out.
Here are some examples of racemic mixtures:
Ibuprofen: A common over-the-counter pain reliever, sold as a racemic mixture. Only the (S)-enantiomer is pharmacologically active.
Thalidomide: A drug that was tragically used to treat morning sickness in pregnant women in the 1960s. The (R)-enantiomer was found to be teratogenic (causing birth defects), while the (S)-enantiomer had the desired therapeutic effect.
Alanine: A common amino acid, can exist as both (R)- and (S)- enantiomers. In nature, only the (S)-enantiomer is found in proteins.
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