JEE Main Chemistry question

The compound -ethyl--methylpropan-1-amine forms a non-superimposable mirror image but does not show optical activity. This is due to

(A)absence of a chiral -atom
(B)presence of a chiral -atom
(C)presence of a lone pair on the -atom
(D)rapid flipping (pyramidal inversion) of one form into the otherCorrect

Answer: (D)

Solution

With three different substituents (ethyl, methyl, propyl) plus a lone pair, the nitrogen of this tertiary amine is pyramidal with four different 'groups' (treating the lone pair as the fourth), so its two possible pyramidal arrangements are non-superimposable mirror images, exactly as in a classic stereocentre.

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Question ID VK-150343