If there is no rotation of plane polarized light by a compound in a specific solvent, through to be chiral, it may mean that:

Options

A. The compound may be a racemic mixture
B. The compound is certainly a chiral
C. The compound is certainly meso
D. There is no compound in the solvent

Answer

To solve the question, we need to analyze the situation where a compound, which is chiral, does not rotate plane polarized light when dissolved in a specific solvent. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the reasoning:

### Step 1: Understanding Chirality
Chirality refers to the property of a molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image. Chiral compounds typically exhibit optical activity, meaning they can rotate plane polarized light.

**Hint**: Remember that chiral compounds usually rotate plane polarized light unless there is some form of cancellation.

### Step 2: Analyzing the Observation
In this case, we observe that despite the compound being chiral, there is no rotation of plane polarized light. This suggests that the expected optical activity is not present.

**Hint**: Consider what could lead to a lack of optical activity in a chiral compound.

### Step 3: Considering Racemic Mixtures
One possible explanation for the lack of rotation is that the compound could be part of a racemic mixture. A racemic mixture consists of equal amounts of two enantiomers (one chiral and its mirror image). The rotations caused by each enantiomer cancel each other out, resulting in no net rotation.

**Hint**: Think about how the presence of both enantiomers affects the overall optical activity.

### Step 4: Evaluating Other Options
- **Meso Compounds**: Meso compounds are achiral despite having chiral centers due to internal symmetry. However, if the compound is described as chiral, it cannot be meso.
- **Chiral Nature**: If the compound is indeed chiral, it should exhibit optical activity unless it is part of a racemic mixture or a meso compound.

**Hint**: Analyze whether the compound can be both chiral and meso at the same time.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Given that the compound is described as chiral but does not rotate plane polarized light, the most plausible explanation is that it is a racemic mixture. Therefore, the correct conclusion is that the compound may be a racemic mixture.

**Final Answer**: The compound may be a racemic mixture.