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Chapter 25: Problem 12

Deduce plausible monomers for polymers with the following repeating units: (a) \(+\mathrm{CH}_{2}-\mathrm{CH}=\mathrm{CH}-\mathrm{CH}_{2}+_{\bar{n}}\) (b) \(+\mathrm{CO}+\mathrm{CH}_{2}+{ }_{6} \mathrm{NH}+{ }_{n}\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
The most probable monomers for the given polymers are butadiene for (a) and glycine for (b).

Step by step solution

01

Analyze the first repeating unit

Take a close look at the structure of the given repeating unit: \(+\mathrm{CH}_{2}-\mathrm{CH}=\mathrm{CH}-\mathrm{CH}_{2}+\). Note that it contains four carbon atoms forming a linear chain structure with a double bond between the second and third carbon atoms. The positive signs at the ends indicate that the unit is part of a larger polymer chain.
02

Deduce the monomer for the first repeating unit

Considering the structure of this repeating unit, the simplest molecule that could be polymerized to form such a structure is butadiene: \(\mathrm{CH}_{2}=\mathrm{CH}-\mathrm{CH}= \mathrm{CH}_{2}\). During the polymerization process, adjacent butadiene molecules could interact, and the double bonds could open to form single bonds between them, eventually leading to a chain that replicates the given repeating structure.
03

Analyze the second repeating unit

Next, examine the structure of the second repeating unit: \(+\mathrm{CO}+\mathrm{CH}_{2}+{ }_{6} \mathrm{NH}+{ }_{n}\). This unit is composed of an amine group (\(NH\)), linked to a two-carbon unit (\(\mathrm{CH}_{2}\)) which is further bound to a carbonyl group (\(CO\)). Again, the positive signs indicate that this unit is only a part of the larger polymer chain.
04

Deduce the monomer for the second repeating unit

Given the structure of this repeating unit, it seems plausible that it could be derived from the polymerization of amino acids, specifically glycine. When glycine (\(\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{NCH}_{2}\mathrm{COOH}\)) undergoes dehydration synthesis (loss of water), it could form peptide bonds between the carboxyl group of one molecule and the amino group of the next, creating a polymer chain with the repeating structure given in the exercise.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Discuss the main functions of proteins in living systems.

Proteins vary widely in structure, whereas nucleic acids have rather uniform structures. How do you account for this major difference?

In protein synthesis, the selection of a particular amino acid is determined by the so-called genetic code, or a sequence of three bases in DNA. Will a sequence of only two bases unambiguously determine the selection of 20 amino acids found in proteins? Explain.

The folding of a polypeptide chain depends not only on its amino acid sequence but also on the nature of the solvent. Discuss the types of interactions that might occur between water molecules and the amino acid residues of the polypeptide chain. Which groups would be exposed on the exterior of the protein in contact with water and which groups would be buried in the interior of the protein?

What is the \(\alpha\) -helical structure in proteins?
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