What is an alkylating agent?

The alkylating agent is any chemical that adds an alkyl group to another molecule in a chemical reaction known as alkylation. The alkyl group is essentially a chain of units of ch _{2 any length limited by the atom of the terminal hydrogen, so that the alkylating reaction is simply by adding an alkyl chain to another molecule. The simplest alkyl group is called the methyl group, -ch 3 and alkylation with methyl group is known as methylation.}

Alkylating reactions are an important part of organic synthesis and alkylating substances are formed when creating drugs and industrial special chemicals. However, any alkylating agent is a potential risk because they are quite capable of alkylating DNA or other chemicals in the human body, changing their nature and upsetting human biochemistry. Alkylating agents are strong carcinogens and must be processed carefully.

The tendency of the alkali agent to modify the biochemicals is used in the anti -cancer class knownH as an alkylating antineoplastic substance. In these medicines, the alkylating agent is used to add the alkyl group to the DNA cells, which is incapable of reproduction. Since cancer cells grow faster than normal cells, they die faster and reduce the number of cancer cells. Unfortunately, the alkylating antineoplastic agent does not discriminate between healthy cells and cancer and alkyles the DNA of all cells indiscriminately. In particular, fast -growing cells are performed, for example in the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow and ovaries and are likely to be damaged, which gives these drugs significant and unpleasant side effects.

chemically, an alkylating agent can be considered two parts: the alkyl group and the substituent known as a leained group that leaves during the alkylating reaction and leaves ACALLYL IONT or radical. The group can take a group from the alkyl part of the electron and create an alkyl group with a positive charge or alkyl carbocation. Positively charged alkyl groupsNY are electrophilic, which means they are attracted by negative charges or atoms rich in electrons on the target molecules.

On the contrary, the outgoing group could donate the alkyl part and produce a negatively charged alkyl species or carbanion. Negative alkyl groups are nucleophilic or attract positive charges and atoms of the poor electrons on the substrate.

The nature of the alkylating agent allows a certain amount of control over where the target molecule can be alkyled. Electrophilic or positively charged alkyl groups are provided by compounds such as dialects and alkylhaogenides. Nucleophilic or negatively charged alkyl ions are the result when metal alkyles and organomellika are used.

The third option is freely radical alkylation, in the WHICTIVE alkyl group has a normal compliment of electrons, but one of them is unpaired and available for chemical bonds. Alkylation of free radicals is widely used in industry. DIts non -specificity is often not used in the proposed synthesis.