[Nirvana]

I'm struggling to understand how both the chirality centres in Darvon (dextropropoxyphene) are in the R configuration, but according to my textbook that's the correct answer. I had thought that the carbon attached to the dimethylamino group was in the R configuration and that the other chiral carbon was in an S configuration, so if someone could explain to me why that's incorrect, I would appreciate it.

[Nirvana]

Oops, sorry, I meant to say that I thought that C2 was in the S-configuration and that C3 was in the R-configuration.

[sjb]

Oops, sorry, I meant to say that I thought that C2 was in the S-configuration and that C3 was in the R-configuration.

Can you upload a picture explaining how you think the centres are assigned?

[AWK]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darvon

[Nirvana]

Wow, I'm so sorry, and thank you! I guess I've learned that I can't assume the answers given in the textbook are correct. That makes much more sense.