Spermine is a naturally occurring compound that contributes to the characteristic odor of semen. Classify each nitrogen atom in spermine as primary, secondary, or tertiary. H2N N H N H NH2 Spermine
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Textbook Solutions for Organic Chemistry
Question
Tertiary amines with three different alkyl groups are chiral but cannot be resolved because pyramidal inversion causes racemization at room temperature. Nevertheless, chiral aziridines can be resolved and stored at room temperature. Aziridine is a three-membered heterocycle containing a nitrogen atom. The following is an example of a chiral aziridine. In this compound, the nitrogen atom is a chirality center. Suggest a reason why chiral aziridines do not undergo racemization at room temperature. N
Solution
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This exercise reminds us that tertiary amines with three different alkyl groups are chiral but cannot be resolved because pyramidal inversion causes racemization at room temperature. Nevertheless, chiral aziridines can be resolved and stored at room temperature. Aziridine is a three-membered heterocycle containing a nitrogen atom. This problem gives us an example.
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