ACID AND BASE PROPERTIES

• GENERAL FORMULA OF AMINO ACIDS?

  NH2CH(R)COOH
• KEY POINTS OF AMINO ACIDS?

  • 20 natural amino acids exist
  • all are alpha amino acids
  • amino acids have a chiral carbon, therefore they form enantiomers
• WHAT ARE ALPHA AMINO ACIDS?

  when the amine group is on the carbon next to the carboxyl group
• EQUATION FOR AMINO ACIDS ACTING AS AN ACID?

  COOH ⇌ COO- + H+
• EQUATION FOR AMINO ACIDS ACTING AS BASE?

  NH2 + H+ ⇌ NH3+
• HOW DO AMINO ACIDS EXIST AS?

  zwitterions
• WHAT ARE ZWITTERIONS?

  compounds with a permanent positive charge and a permanent negative charge but are neutral overall
• KEY PROPERTIES OF AMINO ACIDS?

  • ionic
  • high melting points
  • dissolve well in water
  • dissolve poorly in non-polar solvents
  • white solid at room temperature
• WHAT HAPPENS TO AMINO ACIDS IN STRONGLY ACIDIC SOLUTIONS?

  NH2 is protonated
• WHAT HAPPENS TO AMINO ACIDS IN STRONGLY ALKALINE SOLUTIONS?

  OH is deprotonated