alpha and beta position in organic compound

Steve

20 years ago

The alpha carbon is the carbon atom next to the key functional group in
a molecule. The beta carbon is the one next to that. Carbons further
down the line are gamma, delta, epsilon, etc., in the order of the
Greek alphabet.

An alpha-amino acid is one that has the amino group on the carbon next
to the carboxyl group. Protein amino acids are all alpha-amino acids,
but beta-amino acids are being explored as components of drug molecules.

Methyl vinyl ketone (3-buten-2-one) is called an alpha,beta-unsaturated
ketone, because it has a double bond between the first and second
carbon atoms away from the carbonyl carbon. Alpha,beta-unsaturated
ketones, aldehydes, and esters have characteristic, useful chemistries.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (4-hydroxybutanoic acid) can form an internal
cyclic ester between its own carboxyl and hydroxyl groups called gamma-
butyrolactone. The internal cyclic amide of epsilon-aminocaproic acid
(6-aminohexanoic acid) is epsilon-caprolactam, the monomer used to make
nylon-6.

Post by rufachem
i have problem in finding what alpha&beta means in structure of
organic compound

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