Following is the final step in the synthesis of the antiviral drug Rimantidine (Problem 7.19). (a) Describe experimental conditions to bring about this conversion. (b) Is Rimantidine chiral? How many stereoisomers are possible for it?

To describe the experimental conditions for the conversion in Rimantidine synthesis, we first need to know the reactants and the product of the reaction. Unfortunately, the exercise does not provide this information, so we cannot provide an adequate solution for part (a). If the reactants and the product were provided, a possible solution would include discussing reaction mechanism, catalysts, temperature, pressure, and solvents used in the reaction, among other details.

First, let's examine the molecular structure of Rimantidine. Rimantidine has the following molecular formula: C\(_{12}\)H\(_{21}\)N. Its structure consists of an adamantane skeleton with an N-substituted amine group at one of the bridgehead carbons. You can search for its structure online or in a reference material to confirm this. Now, we need to identify any chiral centers. A chiral center is a carbon atom that is bonded to four different groups. According to the structure, we can see that the bridgehead carbon bonded to the amine group is a chiral center since it is attached to four different groups: an amine, two adamantane carbons, and a tertiary carbon. Since Rimantidine has one chiral center, it means that it is chiral. Chirality is a molecular property in which a molecule and its mirror image are non-superimposable, meaning they cannot be superimposed onto each other, just like our hands. To determine the number of stereoisomers, we can use the formula 2^n, where n is the number of chiral centers. In this case, n = 1. Number of stereoisomers = 2^1 = 2 So, there are two stereoisomers of Rimantidine: one is the R-enantiomer and the other is the S-enantiomer.