(R)-Glyceraldehyde (HOCH₂CH(OH)CHO) - R or S Configuration
Is (R)-Glyceraldehyde R or S?
(R)-Glyceraldehyde (HOCH₂CH(OH)CHO) has 1 chiral center. The reference molecule for D/L sugar nomenclature. Requires careful comparison between aldehyde and hydroxymethyl groups using CIP rules.. The configuration is R based on CIP priority rules.
| Formula | HOCH₂CH(OH)CHO |
| Name | (R)-Glyceraldehyde |
| Number of Chiral Centers | 1 |
| Configuration(s) | R |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
Chiral Center Analysis
(R)-Glyceraldehyde (HOCH₂CH(OH)CHO) contains 1 chiral center. The reference molecule for D/L sugar nomenclature. Requires careful comparison between aldehyde and hydroxymethyl groups using CIP rules.. Each chiral center is analyzed below using CIP (Cahn-Ingold-Prelog) priority rules to determine R or S configuration.
CIP Priority Assignment
The four substituents on the chiral center are ranked by atomic number of the directly attached atom, with ties broken by exploring outward along each branch.
- Priority 1: -OH - Oxygen directly bonded (atomic number 8)
- Priority 2: -CHO (aldehyde) - C bonded to O,O phantom,H (double bond counts twice)
- Priority 3: -CH₂OH - C bonded to O,H,H (single O beats all H)
- Priority 4: H - Lowest atomic number (1)
R/S Configuration
With the lowest priority group (priority 4) oriented away from the viewer, the remaining three substituents trace a clockwise path from priority 1 to 2 to 3. This gives the R configuration.
Interactive stereochemistry explorer with guided walkthroughs and practice quizzes.
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