Hot and spicy foods contain molecules that stimulate pain detecting nerve endings. Two such molecules are piperine and capsaicin:
Piperine is the active compound in white and black pepper, and capsaicin is the active compound in chili peppers. The ring structures in piperine and capsaicin are shorthand notations. Each point where lines meet represents a carbon atom.
a. Construct the Lewis structure for piperine and capsaicin, showing all lone pairs of electrons.
b. How many carbon atoms are sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridized in each molecule?
c. Which hybrid orbitals are used by nitrogen atoms in each molecule?
d. Give the approximate values for the bond angles marked a through l in the above structure.
