Resumen de The Five Senses of Christmas Chemistry
Derek A. Jackson, Andrew P. Dicks
This article describes the organic chemistry of five compounds that are directly associated with the Christmas season. These substances and related materials are presented within the framework of the five senses: silver fulminate (sound), α-pinene (sight), sodium acetate (touch), tryptophan (taste), and gingerol (smell). Connections with the introductory organic curriculum are emphasized throughout to illustrate how the following lecture topics can be reviewed or introduced each November and December: Lewis structures, resonance theory, constitutional isomers, stereoisomers, cycloalkane ring conformations, thermodynamics, acids and bases, nucleophiles and electrophiles, carbonyl condensation reaction mechanisms, and functional group transformations.
