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Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Alpha hydroxy carboxylic acids, or α-hydroxy carboxylic acids (AHAs), are a group of carboxylic acids featuring a hydroxy group located ''one'' carbon atom away from the acid group. This structural aspect distinguishes them from beta hydroxy acids, where the functional groups are separated by ''two'' carbon atoms. Notable AHAs include glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, and citric acid. α-Hydroxy acids are Strong acids, stronger acids compared to their non-alpha hydroxy counterparts, a property enhanced by internal hydrogen bonding. AHAs serve a dual purpose: industrially, they are utilized as additives in animal feed and as precursors for polymer synthesis. In cosmetics, they are commonly used for their ability to chemically exfoliate the skin. Occurrence Aldonic acids, a type of sugar acid, are a class of naturally occurring hydroxycarboxylic acids. They have the general chemical formula, HO2C(CHOH)''n''CH2OH. Gluconic acid, a particularly common aldonic acid, the oxidi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), is an organosulfur compound with the formula (CH3)2S+CH2CH2COO−. This zwitterionic metabolite can be found in marine phytoplankton, seaweeds, and some species of terrestrial and aquatic vascular plants. It functions as an osmolyte as well as several other physiological and environmental roles have also been identified. DMSP was first identified in the marine red alga '' Polysiphonia fastigiata''. Biosynthesis In higher plants, DMSP is biosynthesized from ''S''-methylmethionine. Two intermediates in this conversion are dimethylsulfoniumpropylamine and dimethylsulfoniumpropionaldehyde. In algae, however, the biosynthesis starts with the replacement of the amino group in methionine by hydroxide. Degradation DMSP is broken down by marine microbes to form two major volatile sulfur products, each with distinct effects on the environment. One of its breakdown products is methanethiol (CH3SH), which is assimilated by bacteria into protein sul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymers
A polymer () is a substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers play essential and ubiquitous roles in everyday life. Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are fundamental to biological structure and function. Polymers, both natural and synthetic, are created via polymerization of many small molecules, known as monomers. Their consequently large molecular mass, relative to small molecule compounds, produces unique physical properties including toughness, high elasticity, viscoelasticity, and a tendency to form amorphous and semicrystalline structures rather than crystals. Polymers are studied in the fields of polymer science (which includes polymer chemistry and polymer p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cannizzaro Reaction
The Cannizzaro reaction, named after its discoverer Stanislao Cannizzaro, is a chemical reaction which involves the base-induced disproportionation of two molecules of a non-enolizable aldehyde to give a primary alcohol and a carboxylic acid. : Cannizzaro first accomplished this transformation in 1853, when he obtained benzyl alcohol and potassium benzoate from the treatment of benzaldehyde with potash (potassium carbonate). More typically, the reaction would be conducted with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, giving the sodium or potassium carboxylate salt of the carboxylic-acid product: :2 C6H5CHO + KOH → C6H5CH2OH + C6H5COOK The process is a redox reaction involving transfer of a hydride from one substrate molecule to the other: one aldehyde is oxidized to form the acid, the other is reduced to form the alcohol. Mechanism The reaction involves a nucleophilic acyl substitution on an aldehyde, with the leaving group concurrently attacking another aldehy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organolithium Reagent
In organometallic chemistry, organolithium reagents are chemical compounds that contain carbon–lithium (C–Li) bonds. These reagents are important in organic synthesis, and are frequently used to transfer the organic group or the lithium atom to the substrates in synthetic steps, through nucleophilic addition or simple deprotonation. Organolithium reagents are used in industry as an initiator for anionic polymerization, which leads to the production of various elastomers. They have also been applied in asymmetric synthesis in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the large difference in electronegativity between the carbon atom and the lithium atom, the C−Li bond is highly ionic. Owing to the polar nature of the C−Li bond, organolithium reagents are good nucleophiles and strong bases. For laboratory organic synthesis, many organolithium reagents are commercially available in solution form. These reagents are highly reactive, and are sometimes pyrophoric. History and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyanohydrin
In organic chemistry, a cyanohydrin or hydroxynitrile is a functional group found in organic compounds in which a cyano and a hydroxy group are attached to the same carbon atom. The general formula is , where R is H, alkyl, or aryl. Cyanohydrins are industrially important precursors to carboxylic acids and some amino acids. Cyanohydrins can be formed by the cyanohydrin reaction, which involves treating a ketone or an aldehyde with hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in the presence of excess amounts of sodium cyanide (NaCN) as a catalyst: : In this reaction, the nucleophilic ion attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon in the ketone, followed by protonation by HCN, thereby regenerating the cyanide anion. Cyanohydrins are also prepared by displacement of sulfite by cyanide salts: : Cyanohydrins are intermediates in the Strecker amino acid synthesis. In aqueous acid, they are hydrolyzed to the α-hydroxy acid. Preparative methods Cyanohydrins are traditionally prepared b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acidic Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water is the nucleophile. Biological hydrolysis is the cleavage of biomolecules where a water molecule is consumed to effect the separation of a larger molecule into component parts. When a carbohydrate is broken into its component sugar molecules by hydrolysis (e.g., sucrose being broken down into glucose and fructose), this is recognized as saccharification. Hydrolysis reactions can be the reverse of a condensation reaction in which two molecules join into a larger one and eject a water molecule. Thus hydrolysis adds water to break down, whereas condensation builds up by removing water. Types Usually hydrolysis is a chemical process in which a molecule of water is added to a substance. Sometimes this addition causes both the substance and water molecule to split into two parts. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydrogen Cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide (formerly known as prussic acid) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula, formula HCN and structural formula . It is a highly toxic and flammable liquid that boiling, boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an industrial scale and is a highly valued Precursor (chemistry), precursor to many chemical compounds ranging from polymers to pharmaceuticals. Large-scale applications are for the production of potassium cyanide and adiponitrile, used in mining and plastics, respectively. It is more toxic than solid cyanide compounds due to its Volatility (chemistry), volatile nature. A solution of hydrogen cyanide in water (molecule), water, represented as HCN(aqueous, aq), is called ''hydrocyanic acid''. The Salt (chemistry), salts of the cyanide anion are known as cyanides. Whether hydrogen cyanide is an organic compound or not is a topic of debate among chemists, and opinions vary from author to author. Traditionally, it is considered ino ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acrylic Acid
Acrylic acid (IUPAC: prop-2-enoic acid) is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCOOH. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected directly to a carboxylic acid terminus. This colorless liquid has a characteristic acrid or tart smell. It is miscible with water, alcohols, ethers, and chloroform. More than a million tons are produced annually. History The word "acrylic" was coined in 1843, for a chemical derivative of acrolein, an acrid-smelling oil derived from glycerol. Production Acrylic acid is produced by oxidation of propylene, which is a byproduct of the production of ethylene and gasoline: : Historical methods Because acrylic acid and its esters have long been valued commercially, many other methods have been developed. Most have been abandoned for economic or environmental reasons. An early method was the hydrocarboxylation of acetylene (" Reppe chemistry"): : This method requires nickel carbonyl, high pressures of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3-Hydroxypropionic Acid
3-Hydroxypropionic acid is a carboxylic acid, specifically a beta hydroxy acid. It is an acidic viscous liquid with a pKa of 4.9. It is very soluble in water, soluble in ethanol and diethyl ether. Upon distillation, it dehydrates to form acrylic acid, and is occasionally called hydracrylic acid 3-Hydroxypropionic acid is used in the industrial production of various chemicals such as acrylates. Synthesis 3-Hydroxypropionic acid can be obtained by base-induced hydration of acrylic acid followed by reacidification. Another synthesis involves cyanation of ethylene chlorohydrin followed by hydrolysis of the resulting nitrile. Hydrolysis of propiolactone is yet another route. Propiolactone, the dehydrated derivative of 3-hydroxypropionic acid, is produced by reaction of ketene and formaldehyde. 3-Hydroxypropionic acid is listed as one of the "top" chemicals that could be produced from renewable resources. In particular, it could be produced by manipulation of glycerol, but this t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malic Acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L- and D-enantiomers), though only the L-isomer exists naturally. The salts and esters of malic acid are known as malates. The malate anion is a metabolic intermediate in the citric acid cycle. Etymology The word 'malic' is derived from Latin , meaning 'apple'. The related Latin word , meaning 'apple tree', is used as the name of the genus ''Malus'', which includes all apples and crabapples; and is the origin of other taxonomic classifications such as Maloideae, Malinae, and Maleae. Biochemistry L-Malic acid is the naturally occurring form, whereas a mixture of L- and D-malic acid is produced synthetically. File:L-Äpfelsäure.svg, L-Malic acid (''S'') File:D-Äpfelsäure.svg, D-Malic acid (''R'') Malate plays an important role i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maleate
Maleic acid or ''cis''-butenedioic acid is an organic compound that is a dicarboxylic acid, a molecule with two carboxyl groups. Its chemical formula is HO2CCH=CHCO2H. Maleic acid is the ''cis'' isomer of butenedioic acid, whereas fumaric acid is the ''trans'' isomer. Maleic acid is mainly used as a precursor to fumaric acid, and relative to its parent maleic anhydride, which has many applications. Etymology 'Maleic acid' from the French altered from , malic acid, from which it was synthesised. The word 'malic' is derived from Latin , meaning 'apple'. Physical properties Maleic acid has a heat of combustion of −1,355 kJ/mol., 22.7 kJ/mol higher than that of fumaric acid. Maleic acid is more soluble in water than fumaric acid. The melting point of maleic acid (135 °C) is also much lower than that of fumaric acid (287 °C). As confirmed by X-ray crystallography, maleic acid is planar. Two normal hydrogen bonds are observed, one intramolecular and one interm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
