Fischer projection

The Fischer projection, devised by carbon atoms represented by the center of crossing lines. The orientation of the carbon chain is so that the C1 carbon is at the top.

In a Fischer projection, all horizontal bonds project toward the viewer, while vertical bonds project away from the viewer. Therefore, a Fischer projection cannot be rotated by (2n+1)×90° in the plane of the page or the screen, as the orientation of bonds relative to one another can change, converting a molecule to its enantiomer.

Fischer projections are most commonly used in biochemistry and organic chemistry to represent chiral molecules. A computational approach to determining the chirality of a molecule based on computing the sign of a determinant is given by Cieplak and Wisniewski ^[2].

geometry.

See also

• Cahn-Ingold-Prelog priority rule
• Chair conformation
• Newman projection
• Natta projection

References

1. ^ John McMurry (2008). Organic Chemistry, 7th edition, Brooks/Cole - Thomson Learning, Inc., 975. 
2. ^ Cieplak, T. and J.L. Wisniewski (2001) A New Effective Algorithm for the Unambiguous Identification of the Stereochemical Characteristics of Compounds During Their Registration in Databases. Molecules 6:915-926. Online Article
3. ^ Matthews, C. E.; K. E. Van Holde; K. G. Ahern (1999) Biochemistry. 3rd edition. Benjamin Cummings. ISBN 0-8053-3066-6