Chemistry Optical isomerism in spite of plane of symmetry ....?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on an octahedral coordination complex that possesses a plane of symmetry yet is still optically active due to its non-superimposable mirror image. Despite the presence of symmetry, the complex's mirror image can only be aligned with the original through a 90° rotation around the vertical axis, indicating its chirality. Participants explore the implications of optical isomerism in this context, questioning the apparent contradiction between symmetry and optical activity. The conversation highlights the nuances of molecular geometry and the conditions under which chirality can occur. Ultimately, the inquiry reveals a deeper understanding of optical isomerism in coordination complexes.
Vishesh Jain
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Homework Statement
i'm having a complex which has plane of symmetry but still seems optically active
Relevant Equations
please see the figure and description
1570149121666.png

Shown above is an octahedral coordination complex and it's mirror image. The complex has a plane of symmetry (shown in the left diagram, a diagonal plane passing through bottom left and top right corner, perpendicular to the square plane) ... but still it's mirror image is non-superimposable ... i.e it is an optically active compound .. how is it possible or where is my mistake ?
 
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If you rotate the mirror image 90° clockwise about the vertical axis, you can superpose it with the original compound.
 
Oh yea .. thanks :-) !
 
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