Question

What is peptide bond? How is it formed? Write the name and formula of the reagent used to convert alkylhalide to nitroalkane.

Hint:

The nitrite ion (NO\(_2^-\)) is an ambident nucleophile, meaning it can attack from two different sites (N or O). Using silver nitrite (AgNO\(_2\)), where the Ag-O bond is more covalent, favors attack from the nitrogen atom, forming a nitroalkane (R-NO\(_2\)). Using an ionic nitrite like NaNO\(_2\) favors attack from the oxygen, forming an alkyl nitrite (R-O-N=O).

Answer 1

Part 1: Peptide Bond and its Formation
A peptide bond is a covalent chemical bond formed between two amino acid molecules. It is an amide-type bond (-CO-NH-). Formation: It is formed when the carboxyl group (-COOH) of one amino acid reacts with the amino group (-NH\(_2\)) of another amino acid. This is a condensation (or dehydration) reaction, where a molecule of water is eliminated. The resulting molecule is a dipeptide.
Part 2: Reagent for Alkyl Halide to Nitroalkane Conversion
To convert an alkyl halide to a nitroalkane, the reagent used is silver nitrite.
- Name: Silver Nitrite
- Formula: AgNO\(_2\)
The reaction is: \[ \underset{\text{Alkyl Halide}}{\text{R-X}} + \underset{\text{Silver Nitrite}}{\text{AgNO}_2} \rightarrow \underset{\text{Nitroalkane}}{\text{R-NO}_2} + \text{AgX} \]