Module 4: Structures And Reactions Of Biological Molecules Flashcards
Coenzyme
A small molecule which helps enzymes catalyse reactions
Important for building molecules such as fatty acids
What makes a molecule soluble in water?
Ionisable functional group(s)
R-OH
Alcohol
Example of an alcohol
Methanol
R-O-R
Ether
Example of an ether
Methyl ethyl ether
l
R-O-C-OH
l
Hemiacetal
l
R-O-C-O-R
l
Acetal
Which molecules are hemiacetal and acetal functional groups associated with?
Carbohydrates
O
ll
R-C-H
Aldehyde
Example of an aldehyde
Ethanal
Acetaldehyde
O
ll
R-C-R’
Ketone
Example of a ketone
Propanone (acetone)
O
ll
R-C-OH
Carboxylic acid
Example of a carboxylic acid
Ethanoic acid (acetic acid)
O
ll
R-C-OR’
Ester
Derivative of carboxylic acid
Example of an ether
Ethyl ethanoate
What molecules are carboxylic acids and esters associated with?
Lipids (and amino acids for carboxylic acid)
Are alcohols rare or common
Common
Are ethers rate or common?
Rare
Why are low molecular weight alcohols soluble in water?
Hydrogen bonding
This allows for bonding to active site of enzyme
Which nucleophilic reactions do alcohols undergo?
Substitution
Alcohols can combine with carboxylic acids to form _____
Esters
Primary alcohols are oxidised to form ____
Aldehydes
Aldehydes are oxidised to form _____
Carboxylic acids
Secondary alcohols are oxidised to form ____
Ketones
Which class of alcohol cannot readily be oxidised?
Tertiary alcohols
How does the silver mirror test distinguish an aldehyde from a ketone?
When placed in contact with a mild oxidant, an aldehyde will be oxidised, turning into a carboxylic acid
What molecules are used as oxidants for alcohols in the body? Give an example
Enzymes
Alcohol dehydrogenase to oxidise ethanol in the liver- turns into ethanal
Which is more reactive: ethers or esters? Why?
Esters
They are more easily cleaved by nucleophiles
What is an amine? Three classes
A nitrogen with 1-3 hydrocarbon groups bonded
Primary- 1 R
Secondary- 2 R
Tertiary- 3 R
What is an amide?
A nitrogen atom attached to three groups
- one of those is a C=O
Primary: C=O, H, H
Secondary: C=O, R’, H
Tertiary: C=O, R’, R”
What is an imine functional group?
A nitrogen double bonded to a carbon, and single bonded to a hydrocarbon group R \ / C=N /
Main difference between amines and amides
Amines are significantly basic: they have a lone out of electrons on the nitrogen, available for bonding protons
Amides are not: their lone pair is not a available for bonding protons
Describe resonance in an amide
Amides have resonance because they flip between two structures
- One where N has the lone pair
- And one where O had the lone pair
The C=O bond is very polar, so O takes electrons from C, and in return C takes electrons from N
R-SH
Thiol
Alcohol analog
R-S-R’
Ether analog
R-S-S-R’
Disulfide
An oxidation reaction of thiol leads to what?
Disulfide
O ll HO-P-OH l OH
Phosphoric acid
O ll HO-P-OR l OH
Alkyl dihydrogen phosphate
O ll RO-P-OR l OH
Dialkyl hydrogen phosphate
O ll RO-P-OR l OR
Trialkyl phosphate
What do alkyl dihydrogen phosphates and dialkyl hydrogen phosphates have in common?
Both strong acids- ionised at physiological pH (soluble)
What properties do phosphate groups bring to compounds?
Help to solubilise them in water
Resistance to hydrolysis (repels nucleophiles due to negative charge)
What does a biological target (host) need to form interactions with a small molecule (guest)? (3)
Right polarity
Right shape
Right stereochemistry e.g. chirality
Carbonyl compounds
Ones containing a C=O functional group
Aldehydes and ketones
Which carbonyl functional group has two alkyl groups?
Ketone
Which carbonyl functional group has an alkyl group and a hydrogen?
Aldehyde
Which carbonyl functional group tends to be at the ends of a carbon chain? Why?
Aldehyde
Because it has an H attached
Suffix of an aldehyde
-al
Suffix of a ketone
-one
Which reactions is carbonyl chemistry dominated by?
Addition reactions
Steps in the addition reaction of a carbonyl, using a strong nucleophile
Two steps
- Rate determining attack of nucleophile (on C)
- Fast attack of electrophile (on O)
Bond breaks and formations in the addition reaction of a carbonyl, using a strong nucleophile
Attack of nucleophile breaks Pi bond of C=O and forms single bond to C
Attack of electrophile forms single bond to O
What are H, H+ and H-
H = hydrogen atom (one electron)
H+ = proton (no electrons)
H- = hydride (electron shell is full)
LiAlH4 can do what to carbonyl compounds?
Reduce them back to their corresponding alcohols
Because it contains hydride (H-) that can act as a nucleophile
Adding an acid (H+) gives an alcohol
Is there a reaction intermediate or transition state in the addition reaction of a carbonyl compound using a strong nucleophile?
Yes- once nucleophile attacks, before electrophile attacks, there is a negatively charged transition state
Can nucleophiles be neutral?
Yes- they just need a non-bonding electron pair
What do we need to do before reacting a weak electrophile with a carbonyl compound?
Increase the positive charge on C (of C=O) by adding the electrophile first
What transition state do we get after adding the electrophile (first) to the carbonyl compound?
Carbocation
This is very attractive to the weak nucleophile
What charge does the weak nucleophilic atom have after bonding to the carbocation? (Addition reaction of carbonyl)
+1
Because the electrophile attacked first, producing carbocation
Carbocation has +1 charge, weak nucleophile has 0 charge, so when it attacks, the charge is transferred to the nucleophile
What occurs due to the positive charge of the nucleophilic atom?
(In addition reaction of carbonyl using a weak nucleophile)
The Nu-H bond breaks (fast step)
What is the slow step in the addition reaction of a carbonyl using a weak nucleophile?
Attack of nucleophile to carbocation
Which is the more reactive carbonyl functional group? Why? (2)
Aldehydes
- Less steric hinderance (Only one alkyl group)
- Less stability due to less alkyl groups donating electrons to reduce positive charge on C
In the slow step of an addition reaction to a carbonyl compound (weak nucleophile), we go from a ____ hybridised carbon to a ___ hybridised carbon
sp2 (trigonal planar- 3 groups attached)
sp3 (tetrahedral- 4 groups attached)
What weak nucleophile is used to turn a carbonyl into a hemiacetal?
Alcohol