Conformeras

Conformeras are a class of chemical compounds that exhibit conformational isomerism. Conformational isomers, also known as conformers, are stereoisomers that are not separable at room temperature. They are interconvertible by rotation about single bonds. This means that conformers of a molecule are the same compound and can readily change from one form to another without breaking any chemical bonds. The specific spatial arrangement of atoms in a conformer is determined by the dihedral angles between groups of atoms.

Different conformers of a molecule often have different energies. The most stable conformer is the one with the lowest energy. The relative stability of conformers is influenced by factors such as steric strain (repulsion between electron clouds of atoms or groups), torsional strain (repulsion between bonding electrons), and attractive interactions like hydrogen bonding. The study of conformational analysis aims to determine the preferred conformations of molecules and understand how these conformations affect their physical and chemical properties. Techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and computational chemistry are often used to investigate conformers. For example, in cyclohexane, the chair conformation is the most stable, while the boat conformation is less stable due to increased steric and torsional strain.