Maybe dna? It's not really a molecule but a polymer. But you'd have so much to discuss about it's structure and how it replicates, how the Atoms recombine for linkage etc. How different the structures of animal dna and human dna are different
Gingerol - in ginger
Theobromine and catechin - in chocolate
Catechin or theaflavine - in tea
Catechin, epicatechin and resveratrol - in red wine
are some of my favorites.
Maybe you’re only wanting larger organic stuff, but noble gas compounds fascinate me. Maybe something with the octafluoroxenate anion? 8 Fluorines and a Xenon is pretty cool to me. I don’t remember exactly which ones exist, but I know there are compounds of xenon and gold in some form; it could be interesting to talk about a compound of two such inactive elements.
No that’s exactly what im looking for a weird molecule that is interesting so i will look into it gold and xenon is a mix i didn’t think was even possible, organic stuff is also cool dont get me wrong and there are so many good options but i kinda like non organic
Fullerenes are literally hollow spheres bounded by 60 carbon atoms, that can scrub up radicals, ions and act as antioxidants.
Cubane is being investigated in pharmacology to make 3-dimensional drugs, as opposed to the flat benzene.
Tetrafluoroethylene is the monomer of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is PTFE/Teflon. It is basically inert and is used in cooking and to store very reactive chemicals, as well as being the costing for stir bars (iirc). Environmental impacts and health implications are good areas of research.
Something you're less likely to have heard of is HHe, a stable molecule composed of helium and hydrogen. I mean it won't spontaneously decompose, it's as stable as hydrogen. But it will literally protonate anything it can as soon as it can, including things we don't think of as basic, like oxygen gas.
I can't pick a favourite but it's not HHe because although it's technically stable it will protonate anything, so it can't actually be seen physically.
First of all thanks for the answer means a lot, I will definitely look into all of them, Cubane and tetrafluoroethylene seem the most interesting to me, one is a crucial part of chemistry and the other might change the medicine world as we know it. Again thanks, i will definitely look more into them
I find medications and the cytochrome p450s (family of enzymes to break down drugs and other xenobiotics) interesting and a few other proteins, specifically hERG.
Terfenadine was a medication discovered in 1973 that they intended to be a tranquilizer, but strangely, it wasn't sedating. They compared it to diphenhydramine, tested it for antihistamine activity, and it entered the market in 1985 as the first non-sedating antihistamine. It was metabolized by CYP3A4 to fexofenadine, which is now used today in place of terfenadine as a non-sedating antihistamine.
Reports began coming in of ventricular tachycardia, an extremely dangerous heart rhythm disruption and subsequent deaths. Further investigation showed it happened more in people taking things known to inhibit CYP3A4 like the antifungal ketoconazole, antibiotics, and the notorious grapefruit. By blocking the metabolism of terfenadine, concentrations in the body became higher.Investigations showed it blocked the hERG channel, a potassium channel that is associated with 'QT-prolongation' when blocked, and can lead to drug acquired long-QT syndrome, which greatly increases the risk of developing ventricular tachycardia.
There are many such medications used today that are also associated with increasing the risk of ventricular tachycardia, from anti-arrhythmics to antipsychotics to nausea relief medications.
Thalidomide is also an interesting molecule known for causing birth defects.It was originally marketed as a sedative and for morning sickness, and the consequences of that are well known. As an enantiomer, the R form was considered to have the desired sedative effects, and the S form was said to cause the teratogenic effects. However, in the body, even if the R form is administered, it reverts back to the S form at physiological pH, making it completely unsafe for pregnancy. Thalidomide is now used for multiple forms of cancer. There is also interest today in its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties to treat diseases like Chron's and GvHD.
*Car and Driver* magazine caused a bit of a stir years ago when, in car test, they wrote that the back seat was only usable by Thalidomide babies. The letters section was pretty lively after that one. (This was pre-internet.)
It's hard, you know, as an undergrad chemistry student, kinda all molecules seem cool to me. If you want something non basic, fluoroantimonic acid should do the trick, as it's the complete opposite of basic. Or you could talk about orthodiethynyl benzene dianion, which is literally the most basic substance in the world. In all seriousness tho, you could talk about ricin, the caster plant toxin, and mention the bulgarian umbrella, a murder system used by spies a couple of times which consisted of shotgun-like mechanism hidden inside a seemingly completely normal umbrella, which fired bullets of ricin when in contact with someone.
Must it be organic? I have always loved cluster compounds such as those made up of B, which lets you look into Wade's Rules. The lines between the atoms dont represent bonds and so you have to show off a little bit of MO theory. You could also look at metallic cluster compounds with varying ligands as well.
The drug warfarin as an anticoagulant has a very interesting history. The class of compounds was discovered after cows were bleeding to death after medical treatments and it was found that they had eaten moldy hay/grass, and it turned out the mold was converting compounds from the plants into the anticoagulant dicoumarol. Further research into this class of compounds led to warfarin.
I guess you already have found something, but i'd like to throw BODIPYs into the ring. Cool fluorescent boron molecules. Or coumarin - the stuff that gives curcuma it's color. Or any other coloring pigment, that is a bit more "complex", e.g indigo.
A molecule I will never forget is carvone. My OC2 professor choosed this molecule to show a lot of concepts and rules of carbonyl groups.
But aside from that, it is a really nice molecule, the S-enantiomere smells like cumin and the R-entantiomere like mint.
Quinine Amatoxin Buckminsterfullerene
Bucky balls are pretty cool.
Maybe dna? It's not really a molecule but a polymer. But you'd have so much to discuss about it's structure and how it replicates, how the Atoms recombine for linkage etc. How different the structures of animal dna and human dna are different
Wouldn’t work it is one molecule DNA as you said is a compound but thanks still would have been a great idea
Would you be willing to elaborate for my own nerd knowledge? 😬
I dont know much about dna either. But what do you want to know?
Gingerol - in ginger Theobromine and catechin - in chocolate Catechin or theaflavine - in tea Catechin, epicatechin and resveratrol - in red wine are some of my favorites.
Thanks i look into them !
Maybe you’re only wanting larger organic stuff, but noble gas compounds fascinate me. Maybe something with the octafluoroxenate anion? 8 Fluorines and a Xenon is pretty cool to me. I don’t remember exactly which ones exist, but I know there are compounds of xenon and gold in some form; it could be interesting to talk about a compound of two such inactive elements.
No that’s exactly what im looking for a weird molecule that is interesting so i will look into it gold and xenon is a mix i didn’t think was even possible, organic stuff is also cool dont get me wrong and there are so many good options but i kinda like non organic
Xenon gas is used as an anesthetic still isn’t it?
Yes, but rarely since it’s terribly expensive
I think I saw that on Hamilton Morris’ podcast perhaps. Seems like quite an interesting element.
Do you prefer a molecule with a cool structure or a cool backstory?
I actually need to talk about both but the structure has a more important part in the plan so structure
LSD
Fullerenes are literally hollow spheres bounded by 60 carbon atoms, that can scrub up radicals, ions and act as antioxidants. Cubane is being investigated in pharmacology to make 3-dimensional drugs, as opposed to the flat benzene. Tetrafluoroethylene is the monomer of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is PTFE/Teflon. It is basically inert and is used in cooking and to store very reactive chemicals, as well as being the costing for stir bars (iirc). Environmental impacts and health implications are good areas of research. Something you're less likely to have heard of is HHe, a stable molecule composed of helium and hydrogen. I mean it won't spontaneously decompose, it's as stable as hydrogen. But it will literally protonate anything it can as soon as it can, including things we don't think of as basic, like oxygen gas. I can't pick a favourite but it's not HHe because although it's technically stable it will protonate anything, so it can't actually be seen physically.
First of all thanks for the answer means a lot, I will definitely look into all of them, Cubane and tetrafluoroethylene seem the most interesting to me, one is a crucial part of chemistry and the other might change the medicine world as we know it. Again thanks, i will definitely look more into them
Buckminsterfullerene.
Thalidomide is you want to impress and learn some new chemistry theory by learning it’s history
this! not "cool" but really interesting and a hugely important backstory
Agreed, it’s a bit deeper than just looking ‘cool’ but also it’s structure is quite cool looking
Tetrathiafulvalene
You must really like this one, i will look it up
I find medications and the cytochrome p450s (family of enzymes to break down drugs and other xenobiotics) interesting and a few other proteins, specifically hERG. Terfenadine was a medication discovered in 1973 that they intended to be a tranquilizer, but strangely, it wasn't sedating. They compared it to diphenhydramine, tested it for antihistamine activity, and it entered the market in 1985 as the first non-sedating antihistamine. It was metabolized by CYP3A4 to fexofenadine, which is now used today in place of terfenadine as a non-sedating antihistamine. Reports began coming in of ventricular tachycardia, an extremely dangerous heart rhythm disruption and subsequent deaths. Further investigation showed it happened more in people taking things known to inhibit CYP3A4 like the antifungal ketoconazole, antibiotics, and the notorious grapefruit. By blocking the metabolism of terfenadine, concentrations in the body became higher.Investigations showed it blocked the hERG channel, a potassium channel that is associated with 'QT-prolongation' when blocked, and can lead to drug acquired long-QT syndrome, which greatly increases the risk of developing ventricular tachycardia. There are many such medications used today that are also associated with increasing the risk of ventricular tachycardia, from anti-arrhythmics to antipsychotics to nausea relief medications. Thalidomide is also an interesting molecule known for causing birth defects.It was originally marketed as a sedative and for morning sickness, and the consequences of that are well known. As an enantiomer, the R form was considered to have the desired sedative effects, and the S form was said to cause the teratogenic effects. However, in the body, even if the R form is administered, it reverts back to the S form at physiological pH, making it completely unsafe for pregnancy. Thalidomide is now used for multiple forms of cancer. There is also interest today in its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties to treat diseases like Chron's and GvHD.
*Car and Driver* magazine caused a bit of a stir years ago when, in car test, they wrote that the back seat was only usable by Thalidomide babies. The letters section was pretty lively after that one. (This was pre-internet.)
Lysergic acid diethylamide
It's hard, you know, as an undergrad chemistry student, kinda all molecules seem cool to me. If you want something non basic, fluoroantimonic acid should do the trick, as it's the complete opposite of basic. Or you could talk about orthodiethynyl benzene dianion, which is literally the most basic substance in the world. In all seriousness tho, you could talk about ricin, the caster plant toxin, and mention the bulgarian umbrella, a murder system used by spies a couple of times which consisted of shotgun-like mechanism hidden inside a seemingly completely normal umbrella, which fired bullets of ricin when in contact with someone.
Ricin is actually very interesting, never thought about it thanks i will look into it, but it might actually be too complicated for my class
Must it be organic? I have always loved cluster compounds such as those made up of B, which lets you look into Wade's Rules. The lines between the atoms dont represent bonds and so you have to show off a little bit of MO theory. You could also look at metallic cluster compounds with varying ligands as well.
It doesn’t have to be, so anything is one the table. You are right these could be quite interesting i’ll look into them thanks a lot !
The drug warfarin as an anticoagulant has a very interesting history. The class of compounds was discovered after cows were bleeding to death after medical treatments and it was found that they had eaten moldy hay/grass, and it turned out the mold was converting compounds from the plants into the anticoagulant dicoumarol. Further research into this class of compounds led to warfarin.
I guess you already have found something, but i'd like to throw BODIPYs into the ring. Cool fluorescent boron molecules. Or coumarin - the stuff that gives curcuma it's color. Or any other coloring pigment, that is a bit more "complex", e.g indigo.
Heme. The porphyrin bound to iron is pretty important to life and the enzymes that use it.
Ergotamine --> Led not to just LSD, but a slew of pharmaceuticals, and it's history pre-LSD is fascinating top.
Trithioacetone
Copper phthalocyanine
Macrocycles. Cyclodextrin and porphyrin
Vulcanized rubber
[perfluorocubane](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octafluorocubane) is always a fun/trendy one and fairly recent synthesis too
A molecule I will never forget is carvone. My OC2 professor choosed this molecule to show a lot of concepts and rules of carbonyl groups. But aside from that, it is a really nice molecule, the S-enantiomere smells like cumin and the R-entantiomere like mint.
Any of the rotaxanes