Final answer:
A meso compound is an achiral organic compound with multiple chiral centers but with an internal plane of symmetry, such as 2,3-butandiol. Meso compounds are optically inactive due to their symmetry, which is a topic of interest in stereochemistry.
Step-by-step explanation:
A meso compound is a type of achiral molecule that contains multiple chiral centers but is superimposed on its mirror image due to an internal plane of symmetry. An example of a meso compound is 2,3-butandiol, where the molecule can be divided into two mirror-image halves, indicative of its meso nature. In organic chemistry, meso compounds play a special role as they are achiral despite their chiral centers; this is due to the symmetry that effectively nullifies the chiral centers' ability to rotate plane-polarized light in different directions. Other compounds such as potassium hydride (KH) and organometallic compounds like methyl lithium (CH3Li) are examples of inorganic compounds with different characteristics, as opposed to the specific attributes that define a meso compound. Organic synthesis often involves combining molecules like ethene and hydrogen bromide to yield new compounds through synthesis reactions. A meso compound could be used as a starting material or product in such reactions depending on its structure and reactivity.
Overall, the unique property of meso compounds lies in their symmetry, which leads to optical inactivity despite containing chiral centers. They're a fascinating topic in the study of stereochemistry, which explores the spatial arrangement of atoms in molecules and the implications of this arrangement on the properties of the molecule.