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Cubane systematic name
Why is cubane called pentacyclo[$4$.$2$.$0$.$0^{2,5}$.$0^{3,8}$.$0^{4,7}$]octane?
I am especially intrigued by the pentacyclo part.
EJC
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Side reactions of N-hydroxysuccinimide esters with nucleophiles
N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) chemistry is commonly used in chemical biology to react with primary amines like lysine and the N-terminus of proteins. I was curious how labile NHS esters are to other nucleophiles like secondary amines and sulfhydryls.…
bobthejoe
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Why is the cyanide ion toxic?
As the title implies, what is the molecular basis of cyanide toxicity? I did some searching around at the CDC and it only states that it prevents cells from using oxygen. I also read how it could take as little as $131~\mathrm{ppm}$ to kill. How can…
Aubrey Champagne
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what kind of suspension liquid should be used with ferrofluid (so it does not stain the glass)
Please take a look at the following video:
I am working on a new project, and I need to find whats the best liquid to hold ferrofluid inside the glass (or maybe even plastic) container, so that ferrofluid (that easily stains everything) does not…
Damjan Stankovic
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23
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3 answers
Dipole moments of pyrrole and furan
Why do pyrrole and furan have dipoles oriented in different directions?
EJC
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23
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3 answers
Why is gold so popular in nanotechnology?
Gold is a very popular metal in nanotechnology. It is often used as a substrate in electronic applications, as a core of functionalized nanoparticles, and more.
Why is gold so attractive? Why are other metals not as popular? What makes gold the…
Sparkler
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Why is the inversion barrier larger in PH3 than it is in NH3?
The inversion barrier in $\ce{NH3}$ is approximately $5~\mathrm{kcal~mol^{-1}}$ and that of $\ce{PH3}$ is $35~\mathrm{kcal~mol^{-1}}$. This has well-known stereochemical consequences in that amines are not chiral whereas phosphines can be. How can…
wuschi
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Is Hydrogen Bonding a Type of Dipole Dipole Interaction?
I understand that dipole dipole forces is due to the attraction of the different partials charges of atoms in different molecules due to their different electro-negativities.
For hydrogen bonding, my understanding of it is that they are just a…
Nanoputian
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5 answers
Iron chemistry: acetates for ebonizing wood
I have recently been “brewing” what is commonly called “iron acetate” for ebonizing wood, and I'd like to understand the chemistry of the iron/acetic acid reaction, which should be fairly simple, but turns out to be more complex than I thought.
One…
Emmet
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What is the geometry of an alkyl radical?
I encountered this question which asks how many possible radicals are formed when $\ce{CH3CH2C(CH3)3}$ is monosubstituted by $\ce{Br2}$. The answer given is 3 while I think it should be 4, reasoning that there is a "chiral" carbon if the radical is…
ℵ_ϵ
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Why does milk overflow when boiled?
I was wondering that like whenever I boil milk I just have to keep standing in front of it to make sure that I don't waste any milk but then I was wondering like Why does it even overflow ? In case of water it doesn't happen. What makes it to behave…
Shashank
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23
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2 answers
Which relatively simple molecules violate the octet rule?
I'm learning how to draw Lewis diagrams. Everything I've read emphasizes the octet rule. However, to the best of my knowledge, that rule only applies to elements in the first three periods.
On our exam, I expect our professor will ask us to draw…
Hal
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Why are silicon analogs of alkenes or alkynes so difficult to make?
We know that there are silicon analogs of alkanes, but according to Wikipedia, silicon analogs of alkenes or alkynes are virtually unknown. How come?
math_lover
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PBP vs TBP geometry?
Why are the axial bond lengths greater than those of the equatorial bonds in a trigonal bi-pyramid (TBP) geometry molecule; but the opposite is true for pentagonal bi-pyramid (PBP) geometry molecules? I think that it might have something to do with…
tkhanna42
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Why does brown sugar have a strong smell but white sugar doesn't?
I noticed something while cooking and was wondering what the chemical explanation is for this. White sugar has a smell, but it's different, and much fainter than that of brown sugar.
Brown sugar is unrefined, so does this have something to do with…
sqrtbottle
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