The specific rotation of optically pure (R)-2- butanol is -13.52°...
(S)-2-butanol is formed with specific rotation + 13.52°.
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The specific rotation of optically pure (R)-2- butanol is -13.52°...
Specific Rotation and Optical Purity:
Specific rotation is a measure of the rotation of plane-polarized light by a chiral compound. It is defined as the observed rotation divided by the concentration and the path length of the sample. The specific rotation is a characteristic property of an optically active compound and is often used to determine the enantiomeric purity of a sample.
The specific rotation of an optically pure compound is always the same and can be used as a reference value. In this case, the specific rotation of (R)-2-butanol is given as -13.52 at 25°C.
SN2 Reaction:
An SN2 (substitution nucleophilic bimolecular) reaction is a type of reaction in organic chemistry where a nucleophile replaces a leaving group in a single step, resulting in inversion of configuration at the stereocenter. In this reaction, the nucleophile attacks the carbon atom with the leaving group, displacing it and forming a new bond.
Treatment of (R)-2-bromobutane with aqueous NaOH in an SN2 reaction will result in the formation of (R)-2-butanol.
Specific Rotation of the Product:
Since the product is formed via an SN2 reaction, the stereochemistry of the product will be the same as that of the reactant. In other words, the product will also have the (R) configuration.
Since the specific rotation of (R)-2-butanol is -13.52, and the product has the same configuration, the specific rotation of the product will also be -13.52. This is because the specific rotation is a characteristic property of an optically active compound and is independent of the reaction conditions or yield.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C, 13.52.