How many monochlorination products (constitutional isomers and stereoisomers) are formed from the reaction of butane with Cl₂ and hv?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Butane has 4 carbon atoms, so there are 4 possible sites for the chlorine to substitute a hydrogen. Each chlorine substituent can be axial or equatorial, leading to stereoisomers. Therefore, there are 2^4 = 16 possible monochlorination products. However, due to symmetry, some of these products are identical. In total, there are 3 constitutional isomers and 13 stereoisomers, leading to a total of 16 monochlorination products.

How Many Monochlorination Products (Constitutional Isomers and Stereoisomers) Are Formed