During the free-radical monochlorination of the alkane 2-methylbutane (isopentane), exactly how many — Isomerism and Stereochemistry Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Monochlorination of 2-methylbutane yields four structural isomers. 1-chloro-2-methylbutane has a chiral center at C2 (forms 2 enantiomers). 2-chloro-3-methylbutane has a chiral center at C2 (forms 2 enantiomers). The other isomers (2-chloro-2-methylbutane and 1-chloro-3-methylbutane) lack stereocenters. Wait, checking sources: Excerpt 80 Q19 explicitly states the answer is 4 chiral compounds. (This represents two enantiomeric pairs).