AAMC FL Practice Exam

What type of product can be attained if neither reactant is chiral?

1. A chiral product may be formed with a chiral catalyst

2. A racemic mixture is formed

3. Only achiral products can be formed

4. Catalysis is not effective

The correct answer is: A chiral product may be formed with a chiral catalyst

When neither reactant is chiral, the outcome of the reaction can still yield a chiral product if the reaction pathway involves a chiral catalyst. In asymmetric catalysis, a chiral catalyst can influence the formation of enantiomers, creating a product that exhibits chirality despite the achiral nature of the starting materials. This occurs because the chiral catalyst introduces an asymmetry in the reaction mechanism, leading to preferential formation of one enantiomer over another. The presence of the chiral catalyst essentially "imprints" chiral information onto the product, enabling the generation of a single enantiomer or an enriched mixture of one enantiomer compared to the racemic mixture. In contrast, the other potential options do not sufficiently capture the role of a chiral catalyst in product formation. A racemic mixture typically suggests that both enantiomers are formed equally, which is not necessarily the case if a chiral catalyst is involved. Statements about producing only achiral products or ineffective catalysis do not align with the possibility of asymmetric catalysis in reactions involving achiral reactants. Hence, the presence of a chiral catalyst is key to achieving chirality in the product.