Glossary
alkane activation
the selective functionalization of the carbonhydrogen bond in paraffins to make either a useful hydrocarbon product or an organometallic intermediate
alkylation technology
catalytic processes for reacting paraffins with olefins to produce higher molecular-weight paraffins
asymmetric and chiral synthesis
the synthesis of molecules with one or more asymmetric (synonymous with chiral) centers
alternative resource
a noncrude-oil-based resource
atom economy
getting higher yields without having to use protecting groups, as well as producing stoichiometric by-products, especially salts (which must usually be disposed of)
biomimetic catalyst
a synthetic catalytic system that uses biological systems as a model to simulate or reproduce the action or active site of an enzyme (e.g., porphyrins with a macrocycle possessing ternary structure)
cofactor regeneration
some enzyme reactions require a cofactor, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), to catalyze a reaction, yielding a reduced cofactor (NADH); the oxidized form of the cofactor may be regenerated by using the reduced cofactor in an NADH-dependent enzyme reaction
enantiomeric entity
an optically active isomer
enzyme stability
a measure of enzyme resistance to various environmental parameters, both physical and chemical
enzyme activity
acceleration of reactions by decreasing the free energy of activation
fine chemical
a high-value, low-volume chemical (e.g., a pharmaceutical)
ligand
1. In inorganic chemistry, a molecule or ion that binds to a metal cation to form a complex. 2. In biochemistry, a molecule that binds to a receptor, having a biological effect.
macromolecular architecture
the three-dimensional topology and structure of large molecules, such as enzymes or polymers
olefin polymerization
the combination of olefins to produce high molecular-weight polymers
racemate
a one-to-one mixture of enantiomeric molecules; it has a zero optical rotation
regiospecificity
specificity for a particular region of a molecule
renewable resource
a carbon resource available from biological or agricultural sources
selective oxidation
the oxidation of hydrocarbons to produce oxygenates with minimal side reactions and minimal carbon dioxide formation
stereochemistry
a description of the three-dimensional spatial relationships between atoms in a molecule
stereoisomer
two or more molecules with identical molecular formulas but different spatial orientations
stereospecificity
specificity for a particular stereoisomer
stereoselectivity
preference for a particular stereoisomer, commonly applied to molecular binding, reaction kinetics, etc.
substrate specificity
preference for a particular reactant, applied to an enzyme’s preference to react with a particular compound(s)
synthetic versatility
a synthesis technique generally employing a reagent or catalyst that causes a reaction and has broad applicability
thermoplastic elastomer
an elastic polymer that softens or melts on heating and becomes rigid again on cooling