Sulfur bridge

Sulfur bridges marked in blue

Lawesson's reagent

Natural ( R , R ) - cystine

Substituted heptathiocane

A sulfur bridge is a group of atoms in which either one, two or more sulfur atoms are contained in an alkyl chain, a ring-shaped organic chemical compound or as a bridge between any two other atoms.

Schematic presentation of two polyisoprene chains ( blue and green ) after vulcanization with sulfur (n = 0, 1, 2, 3…). In the example, the polyisoprene chains are linked by two sulfur bridges.

Schematic presentation of disulfide bridges in a protein strand ( marked orange ) and between two protein strands.

Organic compounds with sulfur bridges

Stable compounds with sulfur bridges are quite common in nature; so have thioethers and the amino acid cystine (a disulfide this structural element). Cyclic compounds with sulfur bridges are also known and are therefore sulfur-containing heterocycles .

vulcanization

The technically important crosslinking of natural rubber or synthetic rubber is known as vulcanization . Under the action of elemental sulfur or other suitable sulfur compounds, sulfur bridges consisting of several sulfur atoms are made between the polymer strands. The polymer is thus crosslinked.

Proteins

→ Main article : disulfide bridge

Sulfur bridges play a very important role in biochemistry. Chains of proteins and peptides are linked by the formation of disulfide bridges , which creates a tertiary structure . One example is insulin . The amatoxins contain cyclic peptides which are bridged by a sulfur atom.

See also

• Bridge (chemistry)
• Oxygen bridge

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Heribert Offermanns , Jürgen Martens , Martin Watzke, Peter Albers, Bernd Hannebauer, Matthias Janik, Arndt Müller, Kenneth Shankland, Charlotte K. Leech and Stewart F. Parker: Solid State and Solution Structure of an Unusual Compound Containing a CS7 ​​Ring , The Open Organic Chemistry Journal 2 (2008) pp. 110-113.
2. ^ Albert Gossauer: Structure and reactivity of biomolecules , Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2006, p. 440, ISBN 978-3-906390-29-1 .