thesmug
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Neutral but not neutral
I am sorry I can't think of this off the top of my head but this is killing me. What is the name of an organic compound with equal positive and
negative charges within itself? I can't think of what I would search to find this and have tried but with no luck. I know one of you can help!
Good eyes
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UnintentionalChaos
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Zwitterion
Department of Redundancy Department - Now with paperwork!
'In organic synthesis, we call decomposition products "crap", however this is not a IUPAC approved nomenclature.' -Nicodem
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alexleyenda
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Yup. You could have searched amino acids, they are definitely the most important zwitterions with their NH3+ COO- groups.
[Edited on 25-5-2014 by alexleyenda]
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thesmug
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Ok thanks! Also, would nitro groups count as zwitterions?
[edit] also also, would diative bonds be zwitterions?
[Edited on 5/25/14 by thesmug]
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alexleyenda
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Hmm that is a really good question... it could be as it has at the same time a positive and a negative charge, yet the charges cannot be changed by
the pH as it usually is the case with zwitterions so I think it is not a zwitterion, but I am not sure at all. Research time :p
[Edit] Of what I've seen, my guess was right, R-NO2 are not zwitterions as the charges are formal charges, not real complete ionic charges.
[Edit 2] Diative bonds are definitely not zwitterions, no charge is left at all once the bond is made
[Edited on 25-5-2014 by alexleyenda]
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smaerd
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Not to be nit-picky but I do believe a dipole still may exist in dative bonding and there is still a coloumbic or electrostatic 'charge', just not an
ionic charge.
Oh those nitrogroups almost always got the poor general chemistry students in my school. I suppose the nitrogroup could be considered a zwitterion?
Personally I don't think that's the best way to describe it though as the negative charge on the oxygens is delocalized. Then again look at
carboxylates in amino acids, they have delocalized charge as well and obviously are considered zwitterions. Yea alexleyenda I do believe the term
zwitterion is typically used to describe an acid base reaction. Granted nitro oxygens can be protonated... Not sure, I'll bet IUPAC had a big
confusing debate about it at one point or another.
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blogfast25
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No, of course not. For a Zwitterion the positive and negative charges have to well separated, by several bonds. That's not the case for a nitro group.
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