Topic 17 Flashcards
What is chirality?
The arrangement of the molecule (shape of molecule) affects the biological process
What is the difference between mirror and superimposable molecules?
****Mirror Molecules******
- Molecules of the same type
- Mirror images of each other
Super Imposable
- If the two mirror molecules are put on top of one another
- If they do NOT match then they are superimposable
What makes 2 molecules chiral to each other?
- The two molecules have to be **********Mirror molecules of each other********** and ******Super Imposable******
- Properly exclusive to asymmetrical molecules with different groups attached to a central carbon atom
What are chiral centres?
A carbon atom has four different groups bonded to it in such a manner that it has a non-superimposable mirror image.
What effect do different chiral centres have?
- Different arrangements of chiral centres have different effects on the body (can be used for medicines)
- Some of these mirror terms have to be separated and artificially created
What is plane-unpolarised light?
Unpolarised light
- Multiple directions of travel of the wave
- Multiple different directions of oscillations
What is plane-polarised light?
******Polarised Light******
- One direction of travel of the wave
- One direction of oscillation
- Occurs on one plane
How do you convert unpolarised light to polarised light?
- Synthetic material like a polaroid
- Has horizontal lines which can absorb all of the oscillations except those in a single plane
- Single plane assumed to be vertical
What is polarimetry?
The use of a polarimeter to measure the amount of optical activity
How does a polarimeter work?
- Monochromatic light source
- Passes through polarising filter
- Called a polariser
- Conversion of unpolarised → vertically plane-polarised light
- Polarised light passes through a sample tube containing sample
- Plane of polarisation so its no longer vertical through rotation
- Dextrorotatory = clockwise
- Laevorotatory = anti-clockwise
- Analyser is a second polarising filter
- Rotated to a position where the maximum light intensity can be seen
- Angle of rotation is measured
- Quoted positive value if rotation is clockwise
- Quoted negative value if rotation is anticlockwise
- Measured in alpha waves
What is a racemic mixture?
Enantiomers which are made in a 50/50 mix is known as a racemic mixture
What can enantiomers cause?
- Cause plane polarised light to rotate
- Either to the left or to the right
What effect does polarised light have on racemic mixture?
- Due to the nucleophile being being able to attack from above and below
- A 50/50 mic of enantiomers is made (racemic mixture)
- Meaning polarised light has no effect on the mixture
What is the SN1 mechanism?
- takes place in two steps
- R- represents alkyl groups
- central carbon has 4 different groups so has a chiral centre
- needs to have a chiral centre or it wont work
- if the intermediate (carbocation has lost a bond) is planar, the nucleophile can either attack from above or below
- when bonds are added/lost the shape changes (show this when drawing mechanisms )
- if the attack happens from above it will be a different shape compared to if the attack happens from below
- different arrangement depending on where the nucleophile has attacked from
- forms enantiomers which means they can rotate plane polarised light which is known as optical activity
- however, since this is a racemic mixture it has no effect on plane polarised light
What is the SN2 mechanism
- occurs in one step
- product will rotate plane polarised light
- tertiary carbocation is most stable so can only exist as a carbocation for a short period of time
- tertiary carbocation should undergo SN1 mechanism
- in reality the molecule going through SN1 would be primary or secondary haloalkane
- so for SN2 can only occur with a primary carbocation
What makes a carbonyl compound an aldehyde?
- If there is a hydrogen atom joined to a carbonyl group
- Has the suffix **-al** (Methanal)
- The general formula is RCHO
What makes a carbonyl compound an ketone?
- If there are only hydrocarbon groups joined to the carbonyl group
- Has the suffix **-one** (Propan**one**)
- The general formula is RCOR
What is the functional group of aldehydes?
What is the functional group of ketones?
What is the bonding in carboxyl groups?
- Polar double bond C=O
- Different electronegativities of carbon and oxygen******Unlike C=C which is non-polar********
- The electron density of the Pi bond is greater nearer the Oxygen atom
What are the physical properties of the Aldehydes and Ketones?
Physical Properties (Scents)
- Aldehyde Short carbon chain (Rancid)
- Aldehyde Long carbon chain (Nice Smells)
- Lower ketones smell like solvents (Propanone is used in nail varnish)
What are the boiling temperatures of aldehydes and ketones?
Boiling Temperatures
- Intermediate intermolecular force strength
- C=O polar bond means a permanent dipole-dipole interaction
- Lower BP than alcohols but higher than alkanes