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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004  > October  >
In the Classroom
The Molecular Structure of Penicillin
Ronald Bentley
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Cover
October 2004
Vol. 81 No. 10
p. 1462

Abstract
The chemical structure of penicillin was determined between 1942 and 1945 under conditions of secrecy established by the U.S. and U.K. governments. The evidence was not published in the open literature but as a monograph. This complex volume does not present a structure proof that can be readily comprehended by a student. In this article, a basic structural proof for the penicillin molecule is provided, emphasizing the chemical work. The stereochemistry of penicillin is also described, and various rearrangements are considered on the basis of the accepted β-lactam structure.
More Information
*  Citation
Bentley, Ronald. J. Chem. Educ. 2004 81 1462.
*  Keywords
Drugs / Pharmaceuticals; History / Philosophy; Natural Products; Organic Chemistry
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
August 31, 2004
September 10, 2004
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004 > October > Page 1462


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