Sunday, February 27, 2011

Caffeine

C8H10N4O2  
Polarity of Caffeine
Caffeine is polar!

In this molecule, London Dispersion Forces, Dipole Dipole Forces, and Hydrogen Bonding are all present.  Dispersion forces happen because electrons are always in motion, one end of a molecule is either temporarily positive or negative.  Because of this, any two molecules can have a weak bond between them.  Dipole Dipole is an electrostatic attraction between the positive end of one molecule and the negative end of another.  These would form between the Hydrogen, which is more positive, and the Oxygen, which is more negative.  Hydrogen bonding is a temporary covalent bond that forms between Hydrogen and either Nitrogen, Fluorine, or in the case of caffeine, Oxygen. 


Caffeine
Caffeine can be found in more than sixty different plants produced from the purine xanthine, it is a natural constituent in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some soft drinks, it is added to consumer products such as soft drinks, diet pills, and analgesics. It is said to be the most widely used drug in the world, and more than 100 million people in the United States consume caffeine each day. It also has pharmacological uses: as a cardiac and respiratory stimulant and as an agent that promotes kidney diuresis.