MCAT Question A Day - 4/24/13 - Answer!
Which of the following statements is untrue about diastereomers?
A. Diastereomers are not mirror images.
B. Diastereomers are not structural isomers.
C. Diastereomers include geometric isomers and conformational isomers.
D. Diastereomers can never have chiral carbon atoms.
The correct answer is (D). Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images. They can have more than one chiral atom and have superimposable mirror images, as in meso compounds. 2,3-dichlorobutane, for example, has a meso structure (diastereomer) along with a pair of optically active enantiomers.
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