Medicinal Chemistry

Carbohydrates Many aspects of the chemistry of carbohydrates are not specific to this class of compounds but are merely examples of the simple chemical reactions we have already met. Therefore, against the usual practice, we have not attempted a full treatment of carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry in this chapter. We want to avoid giving the impression that the … [Read more...] about Carbohydrates

Amino Acids Numerous amino acids are found in nature, we are concerned primarily with those that make up the structures known as peptides and proteins. Peptides and proteins are both polyamides composed predominantly of α- amino acids linked through their carboxyl and α- amino functions. In biochemistry, the amide linkage is traditionally referred to as a peptide bond. … [Read more...] about Amino Acids Peptides And Proteins

Reaction Mechanisms A reaction mechanism is a detailed step-by-step description of a chemical process in which reactants are converted into products. It consists of a sequence of bond-making and bond-breaking steps involving the movement of electrons and provides a rationalization for chemical reactions. Above all, following a few basic principles allows one to predict the … [Read more...] about Reaction Mechanisms

Nucleophilic Reactions: Nucleophilic Substitution As the term suggests, a substitution reaction is one in which one group is substituted for another. For nucleophilic substitution, the reagent is a suitable nucleophile and it displaces a leaving group. As we study the reactions further, we shall see that mechanistically related competing reactions, eliminations, and … [Read more...] about Nycleophilic Reactions: Nucleophilic Substitution

Heterocycles Heterocycles: Cyclic compounds in which one or more of the ring atoms are not carbon are termed heterocycles; the noncarbon atoms are referred to as heteroatoms. We shall limit our discussions to compounds in which the heteroatoms are nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. To study and understand their properties, heterocycles are conveniently grouped into two … [Read more...] about Heterocycles