ChAPTER 3 CONFORMATIONS OF ALKANES AND CYCLOALKANES H础c drogen peroxide is formed in the cells of plants and animals but is toxic to them onsequently, living systems have developed mechanisms to rid themselves of hydrogen peroxide, usually by enzyme-catalyzed reduction to water. An under- standing of how reactions take place, be they reactions in living systems or reactions in test tubes, begins with a thorough knowledge of the structure of the reactants, products, and catalysts. Even a simple molecule such as hydrogen peroxide may be structurally more complicated than you think. Suppose we wanted to write the structural formula for H2O2 in enough detail to show the positions of the atoms relative to one another. We could write two different planar geometries A and B that differ by a 180 rotation about the o-o bond. We could also write an infinite number of nonplanar structures, of which C is but one example, that differ from one another by tiny increments of rotation about the o-o bond Structures A, B, and C represent different conformations of hydrogen peroxide. informations are different spatial arrangements of a molecule that are generated by rotation about single bonds. Although we cant tell from simply looking at these struc- tures, we now know from experimental studies that C is the most stable conformation Back Forward Main MenuToc Study Guide ToC Student o MHHE Website89 CHAPTER 3 CONFORMATIONS OF ALKANES AND CYCLOALKANES Hydrogen peroxide is formed in the cells of plants and animals but is toxic to them. Consequently, living systems have developed mechanisms to rid themselves of hydrogen peroxide, usually by enzyme-catalyzed reduction to water. An under￾standing of how reactions take place, be they reactions in living systems or reactions in test tubes, begins with a thorough knowledge of the structure of the reactants, products, and catalysts. Even a simple molecule such as hydrogen peroxide may be structurally more complicated than you think. Suppose we wanted to write the structural formula for H2O2 in enough detail to show the positions of the atoms relative to one another. We could write two different planar geometries A and B that differ by a 180° rotation about the O±O bond. We could also write an infinite number of nonplanar structures, of which C is but one example, that differ from one another by tiny increments of rotation about the O±O bond. Structures A, B, and C represent different conformations of hydrogen peroxide. Conformations are different spatial arrangements of a molecule that are generated by rotation about single bonds. Although we can’t tell from simply looking at these struc￾tures, we now know from experimental studies that C is the most stable conformation. A B C Back Forward Main Menu TOC Study Guide TOC Student OLC MHHE Website