Conditions for Optical Activity

Conditions for Optical Activity require the presence of a chiral center, absence of symmetry, and a non-superimposable mirror image.

Conditions for Optical Activity

To be optically active, a compound (including biphenyl atropisomers) must meet the following:

1. Chirality

   • Must be non-superimposable on its mirror image.
   • Can arise from:
     • Chiral centers
     • Axial, planar, or helical chirality

2. No Internal Symmetry

   • Must lack a plane or center of symmetry.
   • Symmetric molecules, even if sterically hindered, are achiral.

3. Stable Conformations

   • Enantiomers must not rapidly interconvert.
   • Otherwise, the compound appears achiral.

4. Detectable Enantiomers

   • Must exist as resolvable enantiomeric pairs (e.g., by chiral chromatography or optical rotation).

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