(Don’t) Shut Your π-Hole
By Dean J. Tantillo
Like charges repel and opposite charges attract. That law of physics dominates organic chemistry and our everyday lives—and causes feuds among chemists.
This Article From Issue
November-December 2023
Volume 111, Number 6
Page 340
Attractions and repulsions form the basis of chemistry, including the biochemistry that allows our cells to function and the organic chemistry that enables much of the modern chemical industry. If you want to know how a new drug will interact with a disease-causing protein, or if you want to investigate the ways that cells build their internal structures, you ultimately need to examine the pushes and pulls between electrical charges. That sounds simple, but like everything in nature, simple concepts turn really hairy when you dig down into the details.
QUICK TAKE
- Differing molecules have varying amounts of positive and negative charge across their surfaces, and that variation affects their shapes and reactions.
- σ-holes and π-holes both present an area of positive charge on a molecule’s surface, which can help researchers predict the particle’s behavior.
- Debate among chemists studying these interactions can lead to advances that fuel the design of new drugs and materials based on these patterns.
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