Strecker Synthesis of Alpha Amino Acids

[@mollybowen5889]

finally! Someone that actually explained how we randomly get COOH on the C rather than just putting it there. Thanks!

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

You are very welcome!

[@denveraarav1025]

Instablaster.

[@AG-xq3ut]

please upload more videos. your voice and explanation makes it look very easy. Great job.

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thanks! Stay tuned for more videos.

[@EtosBolsa]

This is the best video I have seen regarding mechanisms! You are a very good teacher and this was so helpful, thanks a lot!!

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

You're very welcome! I'm glad it helped!

[@moka2103]

2:06 “ask yourself what is happening and is it happening” *cries in the corner *

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Don't cry! Take a deep breath and buckle down to learn it. For more help with this and understanding what is happening and why, I recommend joining the MCAT study hall. Full details: join.mcatstudyhall.com/

[@moka2103]

Leah4sciMCAT I did it I passed

[@CYing21K]

Thank you for making this video! I have never understood a chemical mechanism this well till I watched this video!

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

You're very welcome

[@ikjotsingh4353]

Best explanation on the web

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thank you for your kind words

[@jessemaretzki8002]

Great explanation! My textbook doesn't include the Strecker synthesis mechanism. Though simple, it was very well explained here! Thanks.

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Glad you are able to understand the topic much better. Don't forget to subscribe! :)

[@Jon-ig2sp]

Seriously you are very very good at explaining, been following you for some years now...But please upload more videos especially on the other channel about orgo 2 mechanisms :)

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Keep checking back, I add new videos whenever I have a chance!

[@justinlee7039]

Hi! Around 9:00 into this video, why won’t H2O do nucleophilic attack into the imine on the right (where N has positive charge with 4 bonds total)? Why does O in OH group have to form double bond with the carbon and kick out C-N pi bond to the nitrogen for H2O to then attack the carbonyl Carbon? Is it because C=O+ makes electrophilic carbon more electrophilic than C=N+?? Thank you!

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

These are great questions, let's break them down. If an atom has a complete octet, you cannot form another bond. This means that when N has a positive charge, even if that charge makes it electrophilic, it doesn't have the ability to accept the electrons from an incoming attack. The only electrons it will accept is a bond breaking to form a lone pair. Because of this, N will start pulling on all of its bonds, with more electron density coming from the bonds that are more likely to break. This makes the connected atoms more positive and more susceptible to attack which is why a nucleophile like water is now attracted to the nearby atom instead of the positive N itself. Additionally we'll take into account that the nearby neutral oxygen is electronegative and wants to attack the partially positive carbon. This carbon is made even more partially positive because of N pulling on it. The entire system them flows in the direction that everything is already pulling towards. Oxygen is attracted to carbon and attacks. Carbon has too many bonds and releases N because N is already pulling so hard on that bond anyway. Hope this helps

[@abdulrashidabubakar3673]

very nice helpful i love you Leah

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

thank you

[@dushanthawijayaratne7595]

Can we synthesize the amino acid Lysine using strecker synthesis?

[@mahakhan9762]

yeah just use the lysine side group

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

yes

[@jocequiroz8556]

Best explanation! Thank you so much! I’m very happy cause I’m a Spanish speaker but I could understand all the video! ✨ you’re amazing!

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

I'm so glad you could understand it and that it helped you!

[@dimitrifuzio8245]

do you know how to prepare proline usinf this strecker method?

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thanks for asking! To synthesize an amino acid by the Strecker synthesis, we substitute its given side chain on the starting aldehyde. However, since proline is a cyclic amino acid, a Strecker synthesis of proline would be a little more complicated. For help with questions like this and more, I recommend joining the MCAT Study Hall at join.mcatstudyhall.com/ .

[@tanvitewari3576]

Hey! Nice explanation. But I have a QUESTIONJ: the last product - the main compound. Is it a racemic compound or one of D or L? If racemic, then can the distribution of D/L is some standard? If so, that what the standard is?

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thanks for watching and asking! The Strecker synthesis produces a racemic mixture of alpha amino acids. By definition, a racemic mixture is one that has exactly equal amounts of both enantiomers (50% D, 50% L).

[@jihye1582]

Very helpful! You're one of the best.

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

yay! thank you!

[@chrisnmai7744]

Great explanation -- thank you so much!

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

You're very welcome

[@nadeezaman1800]

Why is the carbonyl carbon an alpha carbon here? 2:24

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

When I say “if the carbonyl carbon is the alpha”, what I mean is that the aldehyde will react to form the future alpha carbon of the amino acid. It’s not that it’s an alpha carbon at that point in the synthesis, but it will eventually become one.

[@Funvideos345]

what about with a ketone

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Ketones and aldehydes are very similar and often undergo the same reactions. The difference is of course that where the aldehyde has a terminal H, the ketone will have another R group. So long as the R group doesn't interfere with the reaction, I don't see why it wouldn't proceed the same way

[@michaelsohnen6526]

My professor takes off points if you write internal proton transfer. You need to show the acid or water molecule involved

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Sure, individual professors may have preferences in how they want their students to represent mechanistic steps. Some professors acknowledge internal proton transfers, while others may not.

[@ritwikmandal1928]

can u explain reaction of fluorescamine with amino acid?

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Let's keep comments relevant to the specific video in question

[@souviksarkar4802]

how to systhesis D-alanine by strecker method

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thanks for asking! To synthesize any given amino acid, simply substitute its side chain on the starting aldehyde of the Strecker synthesis. Since alanine has a methyl group for its side chain, that would mean starting with acetaldehyde. In this video, I elaborate on the traditional method of the Strecker synthesis which produces a racemic product mixture. Certain asymmetric syntheses (which I do not cover here) can produce a desired chiral product.

[@fakharulislam2914]

Thanks alot

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

You're welcome!

[@thevegancoolie]

Does Strecker Synthesis occur in the human body?

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

No, the Strecker synthesis is a non-biological method for producing amino acids. It does not occur in the human body.

[@kagwasimon7887]

Nice products

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thank you

[@MandharajukumarMandha]

😊

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

Thanks for watching!

[@कृष्ण19]

Nice explanation mam Thank you so much 17BNM1074

[@Leah4sciMCAT]

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