Isoprene-units

D-Mevalonic acid is the fundamental intermediate in the biosynthesis of the terpenoids and steroids, together classed as poly-isoprenoids. The biogenetic isoprene unit is isopentenyl pyrophosphate which arises by enzymic decarboxylation-dehydration of mevalonic acid pyrophosphate. D-Mevalonic acid is almost quantitatively incorporated into cholesterol synthesized by rat liver homogenates. 

The term vitamin K2 was applied to 2-methyl-3-difarnesyl-l,4-naphthoquinone, m.p. 54 C, isolated from putrefied fish meal. It now includes a group of related natural compounds ( menaquinones ), differing in the number of isoprene units in the side chain and in their degree of unsaturation. These quinones also appear to be involved in the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. 

The structure of rubber corresponds to 1 4 addition of several thousand isoprene units to one another... 

The structural feature that distinguishes terpenes from other natural products is the iso prene unit The carbon skeleton of myrcene (exclusive of its double bonds) corresponds to the head to tail union of two isoprene units... 

The German chemist Otto Wallach (Nobel Prize m chemistry 1910) determined the structures of many terpenes and is credited with setting forth the isoprene rule ter penes are repeating assemblies of isoprene units normally joined head to tail... 

Terpenes are often referred to as isoprenoid compounds and are classified accord mg to the number of isoprene units they contain (Table 26 2)... 

Although the term terpene once referred only to hydrocarbons current usage includes functionally substituted derivatives as well grouped together under the general term isoprenoids Figure 26 6 (page 1086) presents the structural formulas for a number of representative examples The isoprene units m some of these are relatively easy to identify The three isoprene units m the sesquiterpene farnesol, for example are mdi cated as follows m color They are joined m a head to tail fashion... 

Many terpenes contain one or more rings but these also can be viewed as collec tions of isoprene units An example is a selmene Like farnesol it is made up of three isoprene units linked head to tail... 

Tail to tail linkages of isoprene units sometimes occur especially m the higher terpenes The C(12)—C(13) bond of squalene unites two C15 units m a tail to tail man ner Notice however that isoprene units are joined head to tail within each C15 unit of squalene... 

Identify the isoprene units in 3 carotene (see Figure 26 6) Which 1 carbons are joined by a tail to tail link between isoprene units J... 

Isopentenyl pyrophosphate is the biological isoprene unit it contains five carbon atoms connected m the same order as m isoprene... 

The chemical properties of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate are complementary m a way that permits them to react with each other to form a carbon-carbon bond that unites two isoprene units Using the tt electrons of its double... 

Cholesterol was isolated m the eighteenth century but its structure is so complex that Its correct constitution was not determined until 1932 and its stereochemistry not verified until 1955 Steroids are characterized by the tetracyclic ring system shown m Figure 26 9a As shown m Figure 26 9b cholesterol contains this tetracyclic skeleton modified to include an alcohol function at C 3 a double bond at C 5 methyl groups at C 10 and C 13 and a C Hn side chain at C 17 Isoprene units may be discerned m var lous portions of the cholesterol molecule but the overall correspondence with the iso prene rule is far from perfect Indeed cholesterol has only 27 carbon atoms three too few for It to be classed as a tnterpene... 

Terpenes are said to have structures that follow the isoprene rule in that they can be viewed as collections of isoprene units... 

Section 26 9 Carbon-carbon bond formation between isoprene units can be understood on the basis of nucleophilic attack of the tt electrons of a double bond on a carbocation or an allyhc carbon that bears a pyrophosphate leaving group... 

Identify the isoprene units in each of the following naturally occumng substances... 

Cubitene is a diterpene present in the defense secretion of a species of African termite What unusual feature charactenzes the joining of isoprene units in cubitene" ... 

Bile acids (Section 26 13) Steroid derivatives biosynthesized in the liver that aid digestion by emulsifying fats Bimolecular (Section 4 8) A process in which two particles re act in the same elementary step Biological isoprene unit (Section 26 8) Isopentenyl pyrophos phate the biological precursor to terpenes and steroids... 

Isoprene unit (Section 26 7) The characteristic five carbon structural unit found in terpenes... 

Terpenes (Section 26 7) Compounds that can be analyzed as clusters of isoprene units Terpenes with 10 carbons are classified as rnonoterpenes those with 15 are sesqmter penes those with 20 are diterpenes and those with 30 are tnterpenes... 

The isoprene unit exists extensively in nature. It is found in terpenes, camphors, diterpenes (eg, abietic acid), vitamins A and K, chlorophyll, and other compounds isolated from animal and plant materials. The correct stmctural formula for isoprene was first proposed in 1884 (7). 

The physical properties of any polyisoprene depend not only on the microstmctural features but also on macro features such as molecular weight, crystallinity, linearity or branching of the polymer chains, and degree of cross-linking. For a polymer to be capable of crystallization, it must have long sequences where the stmcture is completely stereoregular. These stereoregular sequences must be linear stmctures composed exclusively of 1,4-, 1,2-, or 3,4-isoprene units. If the units are 1,4- then they must be either all cis or all trans. If 1,2- or 3,4- units are involved, they must be either syndiotactic or isotactic. In all cases, the monomer units must be linked in the head-to-tail manner (85). 

Terpenes are characterized as being made up of units of isoprene in a head-to-tail orientation. This isoprene concept, invented to aid in the stmcture deterrnination of terpenes found in natural products, was especially useful for elucidation of stmctures of more complex sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and polyterpenes. The hydrocarbon, myrcene, and the terpene alcohol, a-terpineol, can be considered as being made up of two isoprene units in such a head-to-tail orientation (1). 

Sesquiterpenes are formed by the head-to-tad arrangement of three isoprene units (15 carbon atoms) there are, however, many exceptions to the rule. Because of the complexity and diversity of the substances produced in nature, it is not surprising that there are many examples of skeletal rearrangements, migrations of methyl groups, and even loss of carbon atoms to produce norsesquiterpenoids. 

The K vitamins are named after the original vitamin and the number of carbon atoms ia the side chain. Usiug this convention, vitamin K2 20) named because it contains 20 carbon atoms ia the chain. In the biological Hterature, vitamin is frequentiy referred to as menaquiaone and is further designated by the number of isoprene units ia the side chain. For example, vitamin 2(20) called menaquiaone-4 or MK-4. Vitamin is also referred... 

Halogenated Butyl Rubber. Halogenation at the isoprene site ia butyl mbber proceeds by a halonium ion mechanism leading to a double-bond shift and formation of an exomethylene alkyl haUde. Both chlorinated and brominated mbber show the predominate stmcture (1) (>80%), by nmr, as described eadier (33,34). Halogenation of the unsaturation has no apparent effect on the isobutylene backbone chains. Cross-linked samples do not crystallize on extension due to the chain irregularities introduced by the halogenated isoprene units. 

Alkali Metal Catalysts. The polymerization of isoprene with sodium metal was reported in 1911 (49,50). In hydrocarbon solvent or bulk, the polymerization of isoprene with alkaU metals occurs heterogeneously, whereas in highly polar solvents the polymerization is homogeneous (51—53). Of the alkah metals, only lithium in bulk or hydrocarbon solvent gives over 90% cis-1,4 microstmcture. Sodium or potassium metals in / -heptane give no cis-1,4 microstmcture, and 48—58 mol % /ram-1,4, 35—42% 3,4, and 7—10% 1,2 microstmcture (46). Alkali metals in benzene or tetrahydrofuran with crown ethers form solutions that readily polymerize isoprene however, the 1,4 content of the polyisoprene is low (54). For example, the polyisoprene formed with sodium metal and dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 (crown ether) in benzene at 10°C contains 32% 1,4-, 44% 3,4-, and 24% 1,2-isoprene units (54). 

Natural rubber is composed of polymerized isoprene units. When rubber is under tension, ozone attacks the carbon-carbon double bond, breaking the bond. The broken bond leaves adjacent C = C bonds under additional stress, eventually breaking and placing shll more stress on surrounding C = C bonds. This "domino" effect can be discerned from the structural formulas in Fig. 9-4. The number of cracks and the depth of the cracks in rubber under tension are related to ambient concentrations of ozone. 

Fig. 8. Electron micrograph.s showing the interface between polystyrene (top) and a styrene-isoprene diblock polymer (bottom), annealed at I50°C for the times shown. Isoprene units are stained and appear black) (reproduced from [31], copyright American Chemical Society).

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