Pyrroles

What are pyrroles? Pyrroles are 5-membered heterocyclic aromatic compounds with one nitrogen atom and 4 carbons in a pentagonal ring. Apart from its interest as an aromatic system, the pyrrole is biologically important because its structure is part of the heme group, chlorophyll and other natural products related to vitamin B12 and bile pigments. Among … Read more

Isomerism in organic molecules

Basic concepts Many organic molecules have the peculiarity of having the same molecular formula, but different physicochemical properties, receiving the name of isomers. The following scheme summarizes the types of isomerism characteristic of organic molecules: Planar isomerism (constitutional or structural) Planar isomers differ in their connectivity (the way in which atoms are bonded together), and … Read more

Quinolines and isoquinolines

What are quinolines and isoquinolines? They are the fusion products of a benzene ring and a pyridine nucleus. fig-01 Both substances are obtained from coal tar. These weakly basic heterocycles resemble pyridine in their stability against chemical attack. But there are some fundamental differences in their reactivity. Both quinoline and isoquinoline can be considered as … Read more

Six-membered rings with one heteroatom

What are six-membered rings with one heteroatom? Hexagonal heterocycles with one heteroatom are six-membered cyclic organic compounds with one atom in the ring other than carbon. A CH in the benzene can be replaced by a nitrogen atom or by another of the group 15 elements without substantially altering the character of the π-orbitals. That … Read more

Cyclization reactions (ring formation)

What are cyclization reactions or ring formation reactions? The most common cyclization reactions are those in which a nucleophilic atom interacts with an electrophile. Therefore, the predominant reaction types are as follows: The nucleophilic shift in a saturated carbon atom. Nucleophilic addition on an unsaturated carbon. Nucleophilic addition-removal. An example of the ring formation reaction … Read more

Food additives

What is a food additive? A food additive is a substance that is intentionally added to food, without such additives being considered food in the ordinary sense of the term. Definition and background The term food additive is defined differently by the food laws of each country. For example, in the food code (Codex Alimentarius), … Read more

Protecting group

What is a protecting group? A protecting group is a derivative that blocks a certain functional group from interfering at some stage of a chemical reaction in the synthesis process of a compound. The most commonly used protecting groups in organic synthesis are the protection of alcohol groups (-OH) and carbonyl groups (>C=O). Examples of … Read more

Heterocyclic chemistry

Basic concepts Heterocyclic compounds are cyclic compounds containing one or more non-carbon atoms in the ring structure. The most frequent elements are N, S and O. They are widely found in nature. Many of them are of fundamental importance to living systems; they can be key components in biological processes. For example: chlorophyll and the … Read more

Organometallic compounds

What are organometallic compounds? Organometallic compounds are substances in which an organic functional group is directly bonded to an R-M metal. Organometallic chemistry begins in the early 20th century. Because metals are electropositive, carbon metal bonds (C-M) exhibit a high degree of ionic character. Therefore, dipolar resonance structures contribute significantly to the structure of these … Read more

Non-aromatic heterocycles

What are non-aromatic heterocycles? Non-aromatic heterocycles can be related to open-chain analogous compounds, but the size of the ring may play a relevant role between them. The existence of a ring system imposes restrictions on the molecule that may be absent in the acyclic system. The greater these constraints, the greater the difference between the … Read more