Fischer Projection Formulas
Fischer Projection Formulas
Fischer Projection Formulas
c
c
In the above diagram, if x = CO2H, y = CH3, a = H & b = OH, the resulting formula describes
(r)-(±)-lactic acid. The mirror-image formula, where x = CO2 H, y = CH3, a = OH & b = H,
would, of course, represent ( )-(+)-lactic acid.
The usefulness of this notation to Fischer, in his carbohydrate studies, is evident in the
following diagram. There are eight stereoisomers of 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxypentanal, a group of
compounds referred to as the aldopentoses. Since there are three chiral centers in this
constitution, we should expect a maximum of 23 stereoisomers. These eight stereoisomers
consist of four sets of enantiomers. If the configuration at C-4 is kept constant (r in the
examples shown here), the four stereoisomers that result will be
. Fischer
formulas for these isomers, which Fischer designated as the "D"-family, are shown in the
diagram. Each of these compounds has an enantiomer, which is a member of the "L"-family
so, as expected, there are eight stereoisomers in all. Determining whether a chiral carbon is R
or S may seem difficult when using Fischer projections, but it is actually quite simple. If the
lowest priority group (often a hydrogen) is on a vertical bond, the configuration is given
directly from the relative positions of the three higher-ranked substituents. If the lowest
priority group is on a horizontal bond, the positions of the remaining groups give the wrong
answer (you are in looking at the configuration from the wrong side), so you simply reverse it.
The aldopentose structures drawn above are all diastereomers. A more selective term, ,
is used to designate diastereomers that differ in configuration at only one chiral center. Thus,
ribose and arabinose are epimers at C-2, and arabinose and lyxose are epimers at C-3.
However, arabinose and xylose are not epimers, since their configurations differ at both C-2
and C-3.