Amino Acids, Amides And Chirality Flashcards
What are α-amino acids? And what’s there general formula?
Organic molecules containing a carboxylic acid group and an amine group bonded to the same carbon atom. Their general formula is RCH(NH2)COOH
What do the two functional groups within a single molecule mean about amino acids?
Can behave as both an acid and a base, depending on the conditions of the reaction
What would the carboxylic acid group do?
Will react with alkalis and donate a proton.
What would the amine group do?
Amine group is basic and will react with acids to accept a proton
What are zwitterions?
diplomat with a positive charge in one part of the molecule and a negative charge in another part of the molecule. So amine group is positive and carboxyl group is negative.
Draw a primary amide
Check pmt q
What groups do amides contain?
A C=O group and NHR group where R is an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom. They have the structure RCONH2.
Draw a secondary amide (N-substituted amide)
They have an additional carbon chain bonded to the nitrogen atom.
Check pmt
What reaction can amines undergo?
Nucleophilic addition-elimination reactions with acyl chlorides to produce amide and N-substituted amides.
What is chiral centre?
A carbon atom with four different groups bonded around it, so that the molecules has no line of symmetry. Commonly indicated with a ‘*’.
Define optical isomerism and an optical isomer
A type of stereoisomerism where molecules have the same molecular formula but a different spatial arrangement of atoms.
The presence of a chiral centre leases to two possible isomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. These are called optical isomers.
