Chemical Bonding Lecture Flashcards
(117 cards)
How much energy required to break covalent bonds?
50-100 kcal/mole
Describe the stability of covalent bonds
Quite stable under physiological conditions
How much energy required to break non-covalent bonds?
5 kcal/mole
Describe stability of non-covalent bonds
Break quite easily under physiological conditions but structures held by lots of cooperating non-covalent bonds could be very stable
Non-covalent bonds determine what 2 things?
- How molecules interact with each other
- Shape of large covalently bonded molecules (proteins, nucleic acids)
What does the strength of H bonds depend on?
Distance and orientation
e.g. maximum strength when three atoms in a straight line
What does the strength in electrostatic bonds depend on?
Distance, not orientation
Non-polar surfaces do not attract each other. They are…
Pushed together by the solvent
The strength of a hydrophobic “bond” between 2 non-polar surfaces equals…
The strength of additional water-water H bonds that form when nonpolar surfaces are removed from contact with water molecules
List the bonds in descending order of strength
Covalent > Hydrogen > Electrostatic > Hydrophobic > Van der Waals (0.5 kcal/mole)
An acid is…
A proton donor
A base is…
A proton acceptor
Dissociation of an acid always produces what?
A conjugate base
Protonation of a base always produces what?
A conjugate acid
Strong acids dissociate completely or incompletely?
Completely (equilibrium is very far right) e.g. inorganic acids like HCl, H2SO4
Weak acids and bases…
Exist in equilibrium with their conjugate species. Carboxylic acids are weak acids, amines are weak bases
[H+] changes __-fold when pH changes by 1 unit
10-fold
In the oral cavity, [H+] directly affects what?
The balance of mineralization vs. demineralization of the dental enamel
What is Ka a measure of?
The position of the equilibrium
What is the Ka eqn?
Ka = [H+][A]/[HA]
Ka is the H+ concentration at which exactly _____ of A is protonated
Ka is the H+ concentration at which exactly half of A is protonated, i.e. when [H+] = Ka, [A] = [HA]
Ka = [H+][A]/[HA]
What 2 things does the Henderson Hasselbalch Eqn tell you?
- The fraction of A that is protonated, if you know its pKa and the pH
- The pH, if you know pKa and [A]/[HA] ratio of a buffer
How does a buffer work?
It reacts with either added H+ or OH- to get rid of some of the added H+/OH- in order to decrease the pH change
What buffering reaction gets rid of added H+?
A + H+ –><– AH