3 ms·
>The chemical structure is the clue to the explosive potential. The N-N-N triad is a strange beast that shows up in a lot of explosive materials. This makes me
by jsbdk 5y ago
>The chemical structure is the clue to the explosive potential. The N-N-N triad is a strange beast that shows up in a lot of explosive materials.
This makes me wonder - what properties of a substance can you infer from its structure without ever testing the substance itself?
- rcxdude 5y agoA chemist can usually make an educated guess on most of them based on similarity to other substances, but it's hard to be very accurate and there's still a lot of potential for surprises.
- aazaa 5y agoThere are many. A simple example is solubility. Molecules with amines generally are soluble in acid. Molecules with carboxylic acid groups are usually soluble in base. Molecules with flexible hydrocarbon chains tend to be soluble in oils. Molecules with lots of polar groups tend to be soluble in water. Large, rigid molecules are rarely soluble in anything. Trained chemists can do this sort of thing with specialized properties (such as metabolic stability, brain penetrating ability, and oral bioavailability) as well, although success depends on specifics.