In-f-Organic Chemistry

What is it? Riboflavin is the well known Vitamin B2, it can be found in food and used as a dietary supplement. It is a water-soluble yellow compound that used to be called lactochrome or Vitamin G. It was discovered in 1920, isolated un 1933 and first made in 1935. It can be synthesized by plants, yeasts, and procaryotic cells, while mammals can obtain it by consuming plant-based foods. Chemical Structure The name "Riboflavin" comes from ribose (the sugar whose reduced form, ribitol, appears in structure) and flavus which means yellow in Latin, because of the ring-moiety (Isoalloxazine ring) which imparts the yellow color to the oxidized molecule. The isoalloxazine ring is a focal point for electron transfers, which allow riboflavin to take its three redox forms (fully oxidized/quinone, one-electron reduced/semi-quinone and two electrons reduced/hydroquinone). Additionally, riboflavin is the precursor of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleot...

What is it? Apricot seeds called otherwise apricot kernels look similar in appearance to a small almond. Fresh apricot kernels are white and their skin becomes light brown when dried out. They contain protein, fiber, and a high percentage of oil, which can be extracted from them. Oil pressed from the sweet kernel can be used for cooking in the same way as sweet almond oil. The kernels themselves are used in processed foods such as amaretto biscuits, almond finger biscuits, and apricot jams. Oil and kernels from the bitter variety of apricot kernel are often used in cosmetics in body oil, face cream, lip balm, and essential oil. Nutritions: 50% Oil   ~   25% Protein   ~   8% Carbohydrates Apricot kernel oil is high in essential fatty acids. These fatty acids are essential to human health, but the human body is unable to produce them, so they must be taken in through diet. There are two main types of essential fatty acids: linoleic acid (omega-6) an...

What is it? The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family.It's a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.6–4 metres. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled—are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. Although poinsettias are perennials in warmer climates, most people are likely to see them used as a decorative houseplant over the winter holidays. History The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize ...

What is it? Ninhydrin is a chemical used to detect ammonia or primary and secondary amines. When reacting with these free amines, a deep blue or purple color known as Ruhemann's purple is produced Uses Ninhydrin can be used in analysis of solution that contain amino acids or ammonium ions. Most of the amino acids (except proline) are hydrolyzed and react with ninhydrin, producing a deep purple color known as Ruhemann's purple. In protein analysis thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ninhydrin are combined to separate and detect the protein's amino acids. A solution suspected of containing the ammonium ion, can be tested by dotting it onto a solid support (silica gel) and treated with ninhydrin, a purple color can confirm the existence of ammonium ions in the solution. A ninhydrin solution is commonly used by forensic investigators in the analysis of latent fingerprints, on porous surfaces such as paper. Properties It is a white solid which is soluble in e...

What is it? Penguinone is an organic compound with the molecular formula C10H14O. It's name comes from the fact that it's 2-dimensional molecular structure resembles a penguin. The systematic name of the molecule is 3,4,4,5-tetramethylcyclohexa-2,5-dienone. Properties Density: 0.9±0.1 g/cm3 Boiling Point: 215.0±30.0 °C (at 760 mmHg) Vapour Pressure: 0.2±0.4 mmHg at 25°C Enthalpy of Vaporization: 45.1±3.0 kJ/molFlash Point: 79.1±19.5 °C Index Of Refraction: 1.470 Polarizability: 18.1cm3 H- NMR spectrume of Penguinone References: wikipedia.com ~ chemspider.com ~ nmrdb.org

What is it? A mushroom (or toadstool) is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its foodsource. Etymology The terms "mushroom" and "toadstool" go back centuries and were never precisely defined, nor was there consensus on application. The toadstool's connection to toads may be direct, in reference to some species of poisonous toad, or may just be a case of phonosemantic matching from the German word. However, delineation between edible and poisonous fungi is not clear-cut, so a "mushroom" may be edible, poisonous, or unpalatable. The term "toadstool" is nowadays used in storytelling when referring to poisonous or suspect mushrooms. Edible Mushrooms Mushrooms are used extensively in cooking, in many cuisines (notably Chinese, Korean, European, and Japanese). Though neither meat nor vegetable, mushrooms are known as the "meat" of the vegetable world. T...

What's new? Chinese chemists  have designed an organic polymer that is green in the reduced state but oxidises and turns a sandy-brown when a low voltage is applied. The change is reversible, and the polymer maintains its activity after 1000 repetitions. Properties of the polymer The alkoxy side chains of our polymer play an important role fine tuning the colors. The polymer takes 1–1.5 seconds to change colour and maintains its activity after 1000 repetitions. The polymer also absorbs IR radiation, so could conceal body heat too, and it is super-hydrophobic so would not wash out of clothing. Application ----> Clothing The team used conductive fabric as an electrode to confirm the polymers application in clothing. To make it, they sprayed the conductive fabric with a mixture of the polymer and toluene. Estimation The industrial interest in such products could be relatively high, and not just restricted to the military sector. The structure of t...

What is it? Ethylenediamine is the organic compound with the formula C2H4(NH2)2. This colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor is a strongly basic amine. Synthesis Ethylenediamine is manufactured industrially from 1,2-dichloroethane and ammonia under pressure at 180 °C in an aqueous medium. Another industrial route to ethylenediamine involves the reaction of ethanolamine and ammonia. Properties Preferred IUPAC name: Ethane-1,2-diamine Abbreviations: en Chemical formula: C2H8N2 Molar mass: 60.10 g·mol−1 Appearance: Colorless liquid Odor: Ammoniacal Density: 0.90 g/cm Melting point: 8 °C Boiling point 116 °C (389 K) Solubility in water: miscible Vapor pressure: 1.3 kPa (at 20 °C) Specific heat capacity (C): 172.59 J K−1 mol−1 Coordination Chemistry Ethylenediamine is a well-known chelating ligand for coordination compounds. It is often abbreviated "en" in inorganic chemistry. The complex [Co(ethylened...

What is it? Onion is a vegetable and the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium . Nutrients and phytochemicals Most onion cultivars are about 89% water, 4% sugar, 1% protein, 2% fibre, and 0.1% fat. Onions contain phytochemical compounds such as phenolics that are under basic research to determine their possible properties in humans. What causes their odour? Thiosulfinate: Allicin Thiosulfinates are the primary flavour and odour producing molecules in an onion. Allyl methyl sulfide If the onion is ingested, thiosulfinates are eventually broken down into allyl methyl sulfide, shown below, which can be removed from the body by exhalation – giving rise to the characteristic ‘onion breath’. Why chopping onions will make your eyes water? syn -propanethial-S-oxide Interestingly, none of the compounds that cause these effects are present in the intact onion; rather, when the cell walls of the onion are damaged by chopping, an enzyme released ...

What is it? Limonene is a colorless liquid hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene. Where can we find it? It is a major constituent in several citrus oils (orange, lemon, mandarin, lime, and grapefruit). Name Limonene takes its name from the lemon, as the rind of the lemon -like other citrus fruits- contains considerable amounts of this compound, which contributes to their odor. Properties IUPAC name: 1-Methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-cyclohexeneMolecular Formula: C10H16 Average mass: 136.234Melting Point: -74.35 °C Boiling Point:176 °C Chiral rotation: 87°-102° Isomerism Carbon number four of the cyclohexene ring is chiral. Limonene therefore has two optical isomers. Chiral centres are labelled as R or S using IUPAC nomenclature. But we can found it as d or l or most commonly with (+) or (-). The two enantiomers have identical chemical properties but different odours. R-Limonene smells like orange and S-Limonene smells like lemon. Enantio...

A tomic-scale honeycomb lattice  made of  carbon  atoms What is it? It is a thin layer of pure carbon. A single, tightly packed layer of carbon atoms that are bonded together in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. Properties It’s one atom thick, stronger than steel, harder than diamond, nearly transparent, and one of the most conductive materials on earth. Graphene's electrons In ordinary, three-dimensional metals, electrons hardly interact with each other. But graphene’s two-dimensional, honeycomb structure acts like an electron superhighway in which all the particles have to travel in the same lane. The electrons in graphene act like massless relativistic objects, some with positive charge and some with negative charge. Behaviour When the strongly interacting particles in graphene were driven by an electric field, they behaved not like individual particles but like a fluid that could be described by hydrodynamics. Graphene is a metal that behaves like w...