A racemic mixture is represented by prefixing dl or (±) before the name, such as (±) butan-2-ol. It signifies a mixture containing equal proportions of enantiomers, resulting in zero optical rotation due to cancellation of rotations from each isomer.
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A racemic mixture is represented in chemical nomenclature by using the prefix “rac-” or “dl-.” For example, a racemic mixture of a compound may be denoted as “racemate” or “dl-compound.” This signifies that the mixture contains equal amounts of both enantiomers, the mirror-image isomers, and is optically inactive overall. In a racemic mixture, the individual optical activities of the enantiomers cancel each other out, resulting in no net rotation of plane-polarized light. Understanding and controlling racemic mixtures is crucial in pharmaceuticals to ensure predictable and consistent effects, as individual enantiomers may exhibit different biological activities.