Is cis -1,2-dibromocyclohexane a meso compound?
1 Answer
Yes, cis-1,2-dibromocyclohexane is a meso compound.
Explanation:
The cyclohexane molecule exists as two conformers, the chair form (most stable) and the boat form (least stable).
The chair form doesn't have a plane of symmetry thus it isn't a meso compound, it is a chiral molecule.
However the boat form does have a plane of symmetry, even with the bromine attached on the same side (cis). Thus the molecule is a meso compound, meso means that there is symmetry in a compound with assymetric carbons (chirality centers)., which makes it achiral.
Image showing the two conformers and the whether there is symmetry or not:
Image from: http://www.kshitij-iitjee.com/Meso-Compounds
Therefore the molecule cis-1,2-dibromocyclohexane is a meso compound because it meets the criteria of one conformer being a meso in this case.
Hope I helped :)
