Izomerism

Isomerism is a phenomenon in chemistry where molecules have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements of atoms. These different molecules are called isomers. Despite having the same number and type of atoms, isomers exhibit distinct physical and chemical properties. The key distinction lies in how the atoms are connected or oriented in three-dimensional space.

There are two main categories of isomerism: structural isomerism and stereoisomerism. Structural isomers, also known as constitutional isomers, differ in the connectivity of their atoms. For example, n-butane and isobutane both have the molecular formula C4H10, but their carbon atoms are linked in different ways, leading to different properties.

Stereoisomers, on the other hand, have the same connectivity of atoms but differ in their spatial arrangement. This category is further divided into enantiomers and diastereomers. Enantiomers are stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, much like left and right hands. Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other. Understanding isomerism is crucial for predicting and explaining the behavior of chemical compounds in various fields, including pharmaceuticals, materials science, and biochemistry.