The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, including the
Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, experiences significant
varia ons in water salinity influenced by factors like
monsoon rainfall and dal pa erns. The distribu on of
mangrove species and the ger popula on is also
affected by salinity, with poten al impacts on their
health, behavior, and food sources. Scien sts and
researchers are con nuously studying salinity pa erns
and their impact on the Sundarbans ecosystem.
Given below is a sample problem to solve which may be a
part of the ongoing research work to study the salinity of
water from the region. Density of a sample of water
collected from area of Sunderban(West Bengal) is found
to be 1.25 g mL-1. And the chemical analysis shows that
it contains 92 g of Na+ ions per kg of water. What will be
the concentra on of Na+ ions in molality in the ocean
water of that region?
Sample Density gm of Na+ 3
Water from
coastal area
of West
Bengal
Chemistry of spices from Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu is
known for its diverse range of spices, including
cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, clove, chillis, turmeric,
tamarind and many more. Key molecules present in some
of these spices are: Piperine(Black Pepper),
Eugenol(Clove), Cineole(Cardamom),
Cinnamaldehyde(Cinnamon).
Piperine(Black Pepper):
Piperine in black pepper contains an amide group, a
piperidine ring (a cyclic amine), a methylenedioxyphenyl
(MDP) group, and a conjugated diene system (two double
bonds) adjacent to a carbonyl, which form a conjugated
enone or unsaturated amide.
Here's a breakdown of the func onal groups:
Amide:
The core structure links the piperidine ring to the
unsaturated chain via an amide (nitrogen-carbonyl)
bond.
Piperidine:
A cyclic, saturated amine that is a part of the larger
alkaloid structure.
Methylenedioxyphenyl (MDP) group:
An aroma c ring system with two oxygen atoms a ached
to a single carbon, forming a unique "benzodioxole" ring.
Conjugated Diene (or Penta-1,3-dien-1-one):
A chain of five carbon atoms containing two alterna ng
double bonds (a diene) that also includes a carbonyl
(ketone) func onal group, making it a conjugated enone
system.
Eugenol(Clove):
Eugenol, the main component of clove oil, contains three
main func onal groups: a phenol (a hydroxyl group
a ached to a benzene ring), a methoxy group (an ether),
and an allyl group (a double bond a ached to an alkyl
chain). These groups contribute to its characteris c
aroma, color, and various biological proper es.
Here's a breakdown of the func onal groups:
Phenol:
This is a hydroxyl (-OH) group directly a ached to an
aroma c ring (the benzene ring). This group makes
eugenol a weak acid and is responsible for its an oxidant
proper es.
Methoxy (Ether):
This group consists of an oxygen atom bonded to two
alkyl groups (in this case, a methyl group and the
benzene ring). Ethers are generally unreac ve.
Allyl:
This is an unsaturated hydrocarbon group with a double
bond (C=C) and a methylene group (-CH2-) a ached to
the aroma c ring. The double bond provides a site for
reac ons and contributes to eugenol's stability and
reac vity.
Cineole(Cardamom):
Cineole (1,8-cineole) is a cyclic ether, containing an ether
group and alkene groups within its structure. It is a
monoterpenoid found in the essen al oils of cardamom.
Here's a breakdown of the func onal groups:
Ether Group:
The oxygen atom within the ring structure of cineole is
part of a cyclic ether func onal group.
Alkene Groups:
The structure of cineole also includes double bonds,
which are characteris c of alkene func onal groups.
Cinnamaldehyde(Cinnamon):
Cinnamaldehyde contains an aldehyde func onal group (-
CHO), an alkene func onal group (C=C), and a phenyl
group (a benzene ring), which makes it an aroma c
alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehyde. These func onal
groups give cinnamaldehyde its characteris c flavor and
aroma, and are responsible for its reac vity and
biological proper es.
Detailed breakdown of func onal groups:
Aldehyde Group (-CHO):
This group consists of a carbonyl group (C=O) a ached to
a hydrogen atom. It's located at the end of the carbon
chain in cinnamaldehyde and contributes to its aldehyde
reac vity.
Alkene Group (C=C):
This is a carbon-carbon double bond, which is a site of
unsatura on and high reac vity. In cinnamaldehyde, it's
located between the alpha and beta carbons rela ve to
the aldehyde group, making it an alpha, beta-unsaturated
aldehyde.
Phenyl Group (-C₆H₅):
This is a stable aroma c ring structure (a benzene ring)
a ached to the carbon chain. It contributes to the
compound's aroma c proper es.
