Why do molecules named as (2S,3R)-2,3-dibromopentene?????

1 Answer
Jan 20, 2018

Why? Because each carbon atom with CR_1R_2R_3R_4 substitution is capable of optical isomerism...

Explanation:

You gots....

H_3C-stackrel(2)CHBr-stackrel(3)CHBr-CH_2-CH_3

Carbons 2 and 3 each have 4 different substituents....they could be right-handed or left-handed. And as the chiral centres are NOT symmetrically substituted RS!=SR...and there are thus four potential optical isomers..."RR", "SS", "RS", and "SR".... Here we specify the one diastereomer....