Was van 't Hoff's work on stereochemistry controversial?
The idea that atoms could be arranged in three-dimensional space, leading to non-superimposable mirror images of molecules (enantiomers), was a novel concept. While my work on the asymmetric carbon atom offered a powerful explanation for optical activity observed in many organic compounds, some initially found it challenging to visualize or accept this spatial arrangement. However, its predictive and explanatory power eventually gained widespread acceptance.
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