Flashcards on Bioinorganic Chemistry: Elements in Life
Bioinorganic Chemistry: Elements in Life - Oxidative Stress & Antioxidants
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Carboxylic Acids & Derivatives
103 cards
Card 1
Question: What functional group defines carboxylic acids?
Answer: The carboxyl group (–COOH).
Card 2
Question: What happens when the hydroxyl (–OH) of a carboxyl group is replaced by –OR?
Answer: An ester is formed (–COOR).
Card 3
Question: How are esters named?
Answer: Analogous to salts: name the alkyl (from alcohol) then the acid-derived part (e.g., methyl acetate, ethyl benzoate).
Card 4
Question: How are esters commonly prepared?
Answer: By esterification of carboxylic acids or from more reactive acid derivatives.
Card 5
Question: Give two natural roles or occurrences of esters.
Answer: Many esters are pleasant-smelling compounds used in flavors and fragrances; esters of higher carboxylic acids (fatty acids) form fats, cerides, and co
Card 6
Question: What is a thioester in terms of carboxylic acid derivatives? (structure hint)
Answer: A derivative where –OH is replaced by –SR (O C R SR 1 shown in content).
Card 7
Question: What are acyl halides and where do they commonly occur?
Answer: Derivatives where –OH is replaced by a halogen (e.g., –Cl); acyl halides are primarily laboratory-made products, not common in nature.
Card 8
Question: How are acid anhydrides formed from carboxylic acids?
Answer: By removing water from two carboxyl groups and connecting the acid fragments (forming RCO–O–COR).
Card 9
Question: What is the general replacement that forms an amide from a carboxylic acid?
Answer: Replacing –OH with –NH2 to give an amide (–CONH2 or derivatives).
Card 10
Question: Why are amides especially important biologically?
Answer: Proteins contain amide (peptide) bonds (–CO–NH–), making amides the most important biological amides.