How many alcohols with molecular formula C4H10O are chiral in nature?(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4

1. Break Down the Problem

To determine how many alcohols with the molecular formula C4H10O are chiral, we need to identify all possible structural isomers of this compound and then check which of them possess chirality.

2. Relevant Concepts

A chiral molecule is one that has a non-superimposable mirror image, which generally occurs when a carbon atom is bonded to four different substituents. Structural isomers can arise from different arrangements of atoms in the molecule.

3. Analysis and Detail

• The molecular formula C4H10O indicates that there are saturated alcohols, meaning that the carbon chain is fully saturated with respect to hydrogens and contains one hydroxyl (-OH) group.
• Let's identify the different structural isomers of C4H10O:

1. Butanol (n-butanol): CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2OH
2. Isobutanol: (CH3)2CH-CH2OH
3. Sec-butanol: CH3-CH(OH)-CH2-CH3
4. Tert-butanol: (CH3)3COH

Next, we will determine which of these isomers are chiral:

1. Butanol: Not chiral (all carbons have the same attached groups).
2. Isobutanol: Not chiral (two identical CH3 groups).
3. Sec-butanol: Chiral (the carbon with the -OH is attached to four different groups: -CH3, -CH2-CH3, -H, and -OH).
4. Tert-butanol: Not chiral (three identical CH3 groups).

4. Verify and Summarize

From our analysis, only sec-butanol is chiral. Therefore, out of the four possible structural isomers of C4H10O, only one is chiral.

Final Answer

The number of chiral alcohols with the molecular formula C4H10O is 1. Thus, the answer is (a) 1.