Carboxylic acids characteristic chemical properties

Sn 1-active alkyl halides require longer reaction times (typically 3-6 h), and the yields are lower. f-Butyl chloride and adamantyl bromide have been used successfully, but the generality of the procedure needs to be demonstrated (eq 4). In contrast, acylation reactions using a wide variety of carboxylic acid chlorides have been carried out (eq 5). The initial products are protected forms of Q ,/3-diketo esters which can be isolated in yields of 72-93%. Deprotection is accomplished using MeOH/HCl. The products are vicinal tricarbonyl compounds having the usual characteristic chemical properties such as rapid formation of hydrated derivatives. The protected forms can be used directly in the synthesis of heterocycles. ... 

The chemical properties of peptides and proteins are most easily considered in terms of the chemistry of their component functional groups. That is, they possess reactive amino and carboxyl termini and they display reactions characteristic of the chemistry of the R groups of their component amino acids. These reactions are familiar to us from Chapter 4 and from the study of organic chemistry and need not be repeated here. 

Nicotinic acid and related meta-carboxylic acids display the remarkable characteristic that coordination of the pendant carboxylic acid moieties to the Pt surface is controlled by electrode potential. Oxidative coordination of the carboxylate pendant occurs at positive electrode potentials, resulting in disappearance of the 0-H vibration and loss of surface acidity as judged by absence of reactivity towards KOH. Carboxylate in the 4-position of pyridine (as in INA) is virtually independent of electrode potential, whereas strong coordination of ortho-carboxylates to the Pt surface is present at most electrode potentials. Adsorbed pyridine carboxylic acids are stable in vacuum when returned to solution the adsorbed material displays the same chemical and electrochemical properties as prior to evacuation. 

Acyl residues are usually activated by transfer to coenzyme A (2). In coenzyme A (see p. 12), pantetheine is linked to 3 -phos-pho-ADP by a phosphoric acid anhydride bond. Pantetheine consists of three components connected by amide bonds—pantoic acid, alanine, and cysteamine. The latter two components are biogenic amines formed by the decarboxylation of aspartate and cysteine, respectively. The compound formed from pantoic acid and p-alanine (pantothenic acid) has vitamin-like characteristics for humans (see p. 368). Reactions between the thiol group of the cysteamine residue and carboxylic acids give rise to thioesters, such as acetyl CoA. This reaction is strongly endergonic, and it is therefore coupled to exergonic processes. Thioesters represent the activated form of carboxylic adds, because acyl residues of this type have a high chemical potential and are easily transferred to other molecules. This property is often exploited in metabolism. 

Physical properties of carboxylic acids and derivatives include solubility, melting point, boiling point, and a few other characteristics. In this section we examine each class and discuss the most important physical properties. (In the upcoming section Considering the Acidity of Carboxylic Acids, we discuss the most important chemical property of Ccirboxylic acids — acidity.)... 

Chemical Properties. Trimethylpentanediol, with a primary and a secondary hydroxyl group, enters into reactions characteristic of other glycols. It reacts readily with various carboxylic acids and diacids to form esters, diesters, and polyesters (40). Some organometallic catalysts have proven satisfactory for these reactions, the most versatile being dibutyltin oxide. Several weak bases such as triethanolamine, potassium acetate, lithium acetate, and borax are effective as stabilizers for the glycol during synthesis (41). 

Chemical Properties of Aromatic Acids.—The aromatic acids take part in the reactions which are characteristic of the carboxyl group. They are converted, for example, into acyl halides by the halides of phosphorus,—... 

Pyridine is a tertiary amine its aqueous solution shows an alkaline reaction and precipitates the hydroxides of metals, some of which are soluble in an excess of the amine. Salts of pyridine like those of other amines form characteristic double salts with metallic halides. The ferrocyanide of pyridine and the addition-product of pyridine and mercuric chloride are difficultly soluble in water these compounds are used in the purification of the base. Pyridine is a very stable compound it can be heated with nitric acid or chromic acid without undergoing change but at 330° it is converted by a mixture of nitric acid and fuming sulphuric acid into nitropyridine, a colorless compound that melts at 41° and boils at 216°. At a high temperature pyridine is converted into a sulphonic acid by sulphuric acid. Chlorine and bromine form addition-products, e.g., C5H5N.CI2, at the ordinary temperature when these are heated to above 200°, substitution-products are formed. The hydroxyl derivative of pyridine is made by fusing the sulphonic acid with sodium hydroxide it resembles phenol in chemical properties. The three possible carboxyl derivatives of pyridine are known. The a-acid is called picolinic acid, the jS-acid nicotinic acid (664), and the 7-acid isonicotinic acid. 

Oxidizability is a chemical property characteristic of aldehyde functions. The aldehyde function of glucose makes it capable of reducing copper salts, and this property is widely used to assay sugars. Furthermore, many aldehydes oxidize to form carboxylic acid with oxidizing agents as weak as silver oxide ... 

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