• It
is important to recognize, however, that if all of the components
of the starting state (reactants, catalysts, solvents,
etc.) are achiral, any chiral product will be formed
as a racemic mixture.
•
This
generalization can be more simply stated as "Optically
inactive starting materials can't give optically active
products." (Remember: In order for a substance
to be optically active, it must be chiral and one
enantiomer must be present in greater amounts than the
other.
