CHEMISTRY

Chemistry in Everyday Life

Harsh Kumar Banka

XII – G
City Montessori School
Gomti Nagar-1 Session
Lucknow
2020-21
 Index
Serial No. Topic Page No.

1 Acknowledgement 2

2 Introduction 3
THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS
3 OF DIFFERENT CLASSES 4-12
OF DRUGS
4 Chemicals in Food 13-17

5 Cleansing Agents 18-22

6 Bibliography 23

Teacher’s Signature- ………………………………………….

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 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher
Akhilesh Shukla who gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on ‘Chemistry in Everyday Life’, which also helped
me in doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new
things, I am really thankful to him.
Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents who helped me a lot
in finalizing this project within the limited time frame. Lastly, I am
highly obliged to the reader who is taking out time to view my project.
-Harsh Kumar Banka

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 Introduction
The contributions and promises of chemistry for the welfare of
human beings and the advancements of society, both in terms of
necessities and luxuries, are many fold and it is difficult to think of
an advanced civilization without chemistry.
Chemistry has penetrated very deeply in our everyday life.
Chemicals used in medicine and health care, different types of
dyes which make our clothes beautiful, cosmetics used as food
preservatives and artificial sweetening agents, detergents, insect
repellents, rocket propellants, etc., are some common examples
which signify the role of chemistry in everyday life.

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 THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS OF
DIFFERENT CLASSES OF DRUGS
1. Antacids-
The chemical substances which neutralizes the excess acid in gastric juice
and raise pH to an appropriate level in stomach are called antacids. For
example: - Baking soda, mixture of Al and Mg hydroxide are commonly used
antacids.
Generally, liquids antacids are more effective than tablets because of
more of surface area available for interaction and neutralization acids. Milk
is a weak antacid. By using excess hydrogen carbonate stomach will become
more of alkaline and as a result more of acid production happens.
So, Metal hydroxides are used instead of them which are insoluble and
don’t increase the pH value also. But they will only treat the symptoms not
the cause. A major breakthrough in the treatment of hyperacidity happened
by the discovery of chemical known as histamine which stimulates the
secretion of pepsin and
hydrochloric acid in the
stomach. The drug
cimetidine (Tegamet) was
designed to prevent the
interaction of histamine
with the receptors present Cimetidine
in the stomach wall. This
resulted in release of lesser amount of acid.
The importance of the drug was so much that it remained the largest
selling drug in the world until another drug, ranitidine (Zantac), was
discovered.
2. Antihistamines-
Histamine is a potent vasodilator. It has various functions. It contracts
the smooth muscles in the bronchi and gut and relaxes other muscles, such
as those in the walls of fine blood vessels. Histamine is also responsible for

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 the nasal congestion associated with common cold and allergic response to
pollen.
Synthetic
drugs, brompheniramine (Dimetapp)
and terfenadine (Seldane) act
as antihistamines. They interfere with
the natural action of histamine by
competing with histamine for binding
sites of receptor where histamine
exerts its effect.
The antihistamines don’t affect
the secretion of acid in the stomach
because antiallegric and antacid drugs
Brompheniramine
work on different receptors. Some
other commonly used antihistamines are, chloropheniramine and
promethazine.
3. Neurologically Active Drugs-
Tranquilizers and analgesics are neurologically active drugs. These
affect the message transfer mechanism from nerve to receptor.
a. Tranquilizers-
Tranquilizers are a class of chemical compounds used for the treatment
of stress, and mild or even severe mental diseases. These relieve anxiety,
stress, irritability or excitement by inducing a sense of well-being. They
form an essential component of sleeping pills. There are various types of
tranquilizers. They function by different mechanisms. For
example, noradrenaline is one of the neurotransmitters that play a role in
mood changes. If the level of noradrenaline is low for some reason, then
the signal-sending activity becomes low, and the person suffers from
depression. In such
situations, antidepressant drugs are
required. These drugs inhibit the
enzymes which catalyze the
degradation of noradrenaline. If the
enzyme is inhibited, this important
neurotransmitter is slowly metabolised Iproniazid

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 and can activate its receptor for longer
periods of time, thus counteracting the
effect of depression. Iproniazid and
phenelzine are two such drugs. Some
tranquilizers namely, chlordiazepoxide
and meprobamate, are relatively mild Phenelzine
tranquilizers suitable for relieving tension.

Meprobamate

Equanil is used in controlling depression and hypertension.

Some important class of tranquilizers are as:
• Derivatives of barbituric acid viz., veronal, amytal, nembutal, luminal
and seconal.
• These derivatives are called barbiturates. Barbiturates are hypnotic,
i.e., sleep producing agents. Some other substances used as
tranquilizers are valium and serotonin.
b. Analgesics-
Analgesics reduce or finish the pain without causing impairment
of consciousness, mental confusion, in coordination or paralysis or
some other disturbances of nervous system. These are classified as
follows:
• Non-narcotic (non-addictive) analgesics
• Narcotic drugs

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 Non-narcotic (non-
addictive) analgesics:
Aspirin and
paracetamol belong to
the class of non-narcotic
analgesics. Aspirin is the
most common example.
It inhibits the synthesis of
Paracetamol
chemicals known
as prostaglandins which stimulate inflammation in the tissue and
cause pain. These drugs are effective in relieving skeletal pain such
as that due to arthritis. These drugs have many other effects such as
reducing fever (antipyretic). and preventing platelet coagulation.
They prevent platelet coagulation because of this anti-blood clotting
action; aspirin finds use in prevention of heart attacks. Aspirin is toxic
for liver and sometimes causes bleeding from stomach. So,
naproxen, ibuprofen, and paracetamol are widely used analgesics.
Narcotic (addictive) analgesics: Drugs which when taken in small
doses relieve pain and produces sleep are called Narcotics. They are
obtained from opium poppy and are called opiates. These are mostly
used for relief in post-operative pain, cardiac pain, pains of terminal
cancer and child birth. E.g. Morphine.

Morphine

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4. Antihistamines-
These are the chemical substances
which reduce body temperature during high
fever. Paracetamol, aspirin, phenacetin (4-
hydroxy acetanilide), analgin and novalgin,
etc., are common antipyretics. Out of these,
paracetamol (4-acetamidophenol) is most
common.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
Aspirin
5. Antimicrobials-
Diseases in human beings and animals may be caused by a variety of
microorganisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi and other pathogens. An
antimicrobial tends to destroy/prevent development or inhibit the
pathogenic action of microbes such as bacteria (antibacterial drugs), fungi
(antifungal agents), virus (antiviral agents), or other parasites (antiparasitic
drugs) selectively. Antibiotics, antiseptics and disinfectants are antimicrobial
drugs.
a. Antibiotics-
Antibiotics are used as drugs to treat infections because of their low
toxicity for humans and animals. An antibiotic is a substance produced
wholly or partly by chemical synthesis, which in low concentrations
inhibits the growth or destroys microorganisms by intervening in their
metabolic processes. In order to find chemicals this will affect the invading
bacteria and not the host. Paul Ehrlich, a German bacteriologist, conceived
this idea. He investigated arsenic based structures in order to produce
fewer toxic substances for the treatment of syphilis. He developed the
medicine,
arsphenamine,
known as
salvarsan.
Although
salvarsan is
toxic to human
beings, its
effect on the Arsphenamine

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 bacteria, spirochete, which causes syphilis, is much greater than on human
beings.
A large range of sulphonamide analogues was synthesised. One of the
most effective is sulphapyridine.
A few examples of the two types of antibiotics are as follows:
Bactericidal Bacteriostatic
Penicillin Erythromycin
Aminoglycosides Tetracycline
Ofloxacin Chloramphenicol
Penicillin was the
first antibiotic
discovered (by
Alexander Fleming) in
1929. It is a narrow-
spectrum antibiotic.
Ampicillin and
amoxicillin are semi-
synthetic
Ampicillin
Illodifications of
penicillin. Penicillin is not suitable to all persons and some Personsare
allergic to it. Consequently, it is essential to test the patients for sensitivity
(or allergy) to penicillin, before it is administered. In India, penicillin is
manufactured at Pimpri and Rishikesh (Uttarakhand).
Broad-spectrum antibiotics also called antibiotics, are antibiotics which
are effective against different types of harmful microorganisms. e.g.,
Tetracycline, chloramphenicoltgiven in case of typhoid, dysentery, fever
ofloxacin, etc.

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 Tetracycline

b. Sulpha Drugs-
There is similarity in
structures of salvarsan and
azodyes. The –As = As–
linkage present in
arsphenamine resembles
the –N = N – linkage
present in azodyes in the
sense that arsenic atom is Sulphanilamide
present in place of nitrogen.
In 1932, he succeeded in preparing the first effective antibacterial
agent, prontosil, which resembles in structure to the compound,
salvarsan. Soon it was discovered that in the body prontosil is converted
to a compound called sulphanilamide, which is the real active compound.
Thus, the sulpha drugs were discovered.

c. Antiseptic & Disinfectants-

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 Antiseptics are applied to the living tissues such as wounds, cuts,
ulcers and diseased skin
surfaces. Examples are
furacine, soframicine, etc.
These are not ingested
like antibiotics.
Commonly used
antiseptic, Dettol is a
mixture of chloroxylenol
and teripenol.
Bithionol (the Soframicine
compound is also called
bithionol) is added to
soaps to impart
antiseptic properties.
Iodine is a powerful
antiseptic. Its 2-3 per
cent solution in alcohol
water mixture is known
as tincture of iodine. It is
applied on wounds. Bithionol

Iodoform (CHI3) is also used as an antiseptic for wounds. Boric acid in

dilute aqueous solution is weak antiseptic for eyes.
Disinfectants are applied to inanimate objects such as floors,
drainage system, instruments, etc. Same substances can act as an
antiseptic as well as disinfectant by varying the concentration.
For example, 0.2 per cent solution of phenol is an antiseptic while
its one percent solution is disinfectant. Chlorine in the concentration of
0.2 to 0.4 ppm in aqueous solution and Sulphur dioxide in very low
concentrations, are disinfectants.

6. Antifertility Drugs-
These are the chemical substances which are used to control
pregnancy. They are also called as oral contraceptives. Birth control pills
essentially contain a mixture of synthetic estrogen and progesterone

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 derivatives. Both of these compounds are hormones. It is known that
progesterone suppresses ovulation.
Synthetic progesterone derivatives are more potent than
progesterone. Norethindrone is an example of synthetic progesterone
derivative most widely used as antifertility drug. The estrogen derivative
which is used in combination with progesterone derivative is ethynylestradiol
(novestrol).

Ethynylestradiol

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 Chemicals in Food
Chemicals are added to the food for the following reasons:
• Their preservation
• Enhancing their appeal
• Adding nutritive value in them.
Main categories of food additives are as follows:
• Food colours
• Flavours and sweeteners - Sucrose (Natural sugar)
• Fat emulsifiers and stabilising agents
• Flour improvers - antistaling agents and bleaches
• Antioxidants
• Preservatives
• Nutritional supplements such as minerals, vitamins and amino
acids.
1. Antioxidants-
Antioxidants prevent damage to the cells, cell proteins and lipids. They
neutralize the free radicals which causes aging and degeneration of body.
For example: - Vitamin E and Vitamin C etc. They are electron rich
substances so they can denote electrons to free radicals which are causing
age degeneration. They stabilize the age causing radicals.
2. Artificial Sweetening Agents-
Sucrose (table sugar)
and fructose are the most
widely used natural
sweeteners. But they add
to our calorie intake and
promote tooth decay. To
avoid these problems
many people, take artificial
sweeteners.
Sucrose
Organic substances
which have been synthesized in lab are known to be many times sweeter

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 than cane sugar. Such compounds are known as artificial sweetening agents
or artificial sweeteners.
Some important artificial sweeteners are given below:
a. Saccharin (o-sulphobenzimide)-
Discovered by Johns- Hopkins in 1879
(University of USA). It is the most
popular artificial sweetener. It is 550
times as sweet as cane Sugar, since it
is insoluble in water, so it is sold in the
market as its soluble or calcium salt. It
is non-biodegradable so excreted
from the body in urine (unchanged).
Its use is of great value for diabetic
persons and people who need
to control intake of calories. Saccharin

b. Aspartame-
It is the methyl ester of the dipeptide derived from phenylalanine
aspartic acid. It is also known as ‘Nutra sweet’. It decomposes at baking
or cooking temperatures and hence, can used only in cold food and soft
drinks.
Aspartame has the same number of calories as sugar (4 cal per gram).
It should not be used by
people suffering from the
genetic disease known as
PKU (phenyl ketone
urea). Because in such
people decomposition of
aspartame gives
phenylpyruvic acid.
Accumulation of
phenylpyruvic acid is
harmful especially to Aspartame
infants due to brain
damage and mental retardation.

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 c. Alitame-
It is quite similar to aspartame but more stable than aspartame. It is
2000 times as sweet as sucrose. The main problem for such sweetener
is the control of sweetness of the substance to which it is added
because it is high potency sweetener.

Alitame

d. Surcralose-
It is a trichloro
derivative of sucrose.
It’s appearance and
taste are like sugar. It
is stable at cooking
temperature. It is
almost 600 times 88
sweet as sucrose.
However, it neither
provides calories nor
Sucralose
causes tooth decay.
e. Cyclamate-
It is N-cyclohexylsulphamate. It is
only 20 times sweeter than cane sugar.
3. Food Preservatives-
These are the chemical substances Cyclamate
added to food to prevent their spoilage due

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 to microbial growth (bacteria, yeasts and
moulds) and to retain their nutritive value for
longer periods.
The most commonly used preservatives
include table salt, sugar, vegetable oil,
vinegar, citric acid. spices and sodium
benzonate (C6H5COONA). Salts of sorbic acid
and propanoic acid are also used”
preservatives for cheese, baked food, pickles,
meat and fish products. Sodium benzoate

Sodium benzoate is metabolised by

conversion into hioppuric acid
(C6H5CONHCH2COOH), which is
ultimately urine. It is used in soft drinks
and acidic foods.
Antioxidants like BHT (butylated
hydroxytoluene) and BRA (butylated
hydroxyanisole) retard the action of
oxygen on the food and help in the
preservation of food materials. Butylated hydroxytoluene

Butylated hydroxyanisole

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 4. Edible Colours-
Edible colours are widely used to colour food stuffs in order to improve
their appearance. These colours have no nutritive value.
Edible colours are basically dyes and are used to colour everything from
fruits to meat. They may be synthetic as well as natural. Among the synthetic
edible colours, azo dyes are important and are used to colour a variety of
food stuffs. However, some of them have been found dangerous for young
children and asthma patients. Tetrazine is widely used dye through it is
cancer suspect. Therefore, there is a great deal of controversy and anxiety
over the use of synthetic dyes in food stuffs. The natural dyes such as
carotene, saffron, etc., are safe edible colours.

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 Cleansing Agents

The word detergent means cleansing agent. Actually, detergent word is

derived from Latin word ‘detergere’ means “to wipe off”, Cleansing agents are
the substance which remove dirt and have cleansing action in water. These are
also called surfactants.
Detergents can be classified into two types.
• Soapy detergents or soaps, and
• Non-soapy detergents or soapless soap.
1. Soaps-
Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of higher fatty acids (containing 15-
18 carbon atoms) e.g., stearic acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid. Sodium salts
of fatty acids are known as hard soaps while the potassium salts of fatty
acids are known as soft soaps.
Hard soaps are prepared by cheaper oil and NaOH while soft soaps are
Jlrepared by oil of good quality and KOH. The soft soaps do not contain
freealkali, produce more lather and are used as toilet soaps, shaving
Soapsand shampoos.

a. Preparation of soaps-
Soaps containing Sodium salts are formed by heating fat (glyceryl
ester fatty acid) with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. This reaction
is known as
saponification.
The solution left
after removing the
soap contains glycerol,
which can be recovered
by fractional
distillation. To improve Soapification
the quality of

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 soaps, desired colours, perfumes and medicinal chemical substances
are added in it.
b. Types of soaps-
Different kind of soaps are made by using different raw materials.
Toilet soaps- These are prepared by using better grade of fat or oil and
care is taken to remove excess alkali. Colour and perfumes are added
to make these more attractive.
Floating soaps- These can be prepared by beating tiny bubbles into the
product before it hardens.
Transparent soaps- These are made by dissolving the in ethanol and
then evaporating the excess solvent.
Medicated soaps- Medicated soaps are prepared by some antiseptics
like Dettol or bithional.
Shaving soaps- These contain glycerol to prevent drying. A gum called
rosin is added while making them. It forms sodium rosinate which
lather well.
Laundry soaps- These sodium silicates, borax and contain sodium fillers
like carbonate. sodium rosins
Soap Chips- These are made by running a thin sheet of melted soap on
a cool cylinder and scraping off the soaps in small broken pieces.
Soap granules- These are dried miniature soap bubbles.
Soap powder and scouring soaps- These contain a scouring agent
(abrasive) such as powdered pumice or finely divided sand and builders
like sodium carbonate and trisodium phosphate. Builders make the
soaps act more quickly.

c. Limitation of soaps as cleansing agents-

Soap is good cleansing agent and is 100% biodegradable
microorganisms present in sewage water can completely oxidize soap
to CO2. As a result, it does not create any pollution problem. However,
soaps have two disadvantages:

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 • Soaps cannot be used in hard water since calcium magnesium ions
present in hard water produce curdy precipitates of calcium and
magnesium soaps. These insoluble soaps separate as scum in water and
causes hindrance to washing because the precipitate adheres onto the
fiber of the cloth as gummy mass. Thus, a lot of soap is wasted if water
is hard.
• Soaps cannot be used in acidic solutions since acids precipitate the
insoluble free fatty acids which adhere to the fabrics and thus, reduce
the ability of soaps to remove oil and grease from fabrics.

2. Synthetic Detergents-
A synthetic detergent has all the properties of soaps but actually does not
contain any soap, so they are known as ‘soapless soaps.’
The most commonly used synthetic detergents are either sodium salts of
long chain alkyl substituted benzene sulphonic acids or sodium salts of
sulphuric acid esters of long chain aliphatic alcohols.
Straight chain alkyl group containing detergents are biodegradable
whereas branched chain alkyl group containing detergents are non-
biodegradable.
Unlike soaps, synthetic detergents can be used in both soft and hard
water. This is due to the reason that calcium and magnesium salts of
detergents like their sodium salts are also soluble in water. Synthetic
Detergents are mainly classified into three categories:

a. Anionic Detergents-
These are sodium salts of sulphonated long chain alcohols or
hydrocarbons.
• Alkyl hydrogen sulphates formed by treating long chain alcohols with
concentrated sulphuric acids are neutralised with alkali to form anionic
detergents.
• Alkyl benzene sulphonates are obtained by neutralising alkyl benzene
sulphonic acids with alkali.

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 In such detergents, the anionic part of the molecule is involved in the
cleansing action. They are mostly used for household work and in tooth
paste.

b. Cationic Detergents-
These are quaternary ammonium salts of arnines with acetates, chlorides
or bromides as anion. For example, Cationic detergents are used in hair
conditioner. They have germicidal properties but are expensive therefore,
these are of limited use.

c. Non-ionic Detergents-
Such detergents do not contain any ion in their constitution. One such
detergent can be obtained by reaction of stearic acid and polyethylene
glycol. Liquid dish washing detergents are non-ionic type; Mechanism of
cleansing action of this type of detergents is the same as that of soaps.
a. Manufacture of Detergents-
As mentioned earlier, the most widely used detergents are sodium alkyl
sulphates and sodium alkyl benzene sulphonates. They are manufactured as
given below.
• Sodium alkyl sulphates: They are
prepared commercially by treating long
chain aliphatic alcohols with sulphuric acid.
The long chain aliphatic alcohols are
obtained from suitable oils or fats by
hydrogenolysis. The long chain aliphatic
alcohol is treated with sulphuric acid when
an alkyl hydrogen sulphate is obtained. The
alkyl hydrogen sulphate thus obtained is
Alkylsulfate
neutralised with caustic soda to get the
required detergent. For example, sodium lauryl sulphate (the most
important detergent of this class) is synthesised from lauryl alcohol
(obtained by the hydrogenolysis of coconut or palm oil).

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 • Sodium alkyl benzene sulphonates: These are synthesised by the
Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene with long chain alkenes followed by the
sulphonation of the resulting alkyl benzene. The alkyl benzene sulphonic
acid thus obtained is treated with sodium hydroxide to get the detergent.
For example, sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate (an important detergent
of this class).

b. Advantages of Synthetic Soaps Over Detergents-

• Synthetic detergents can be used even in case of hard water whereas
soaps fail to do so.
• Synthetic detergents can be used in the acidic medium while soaps
cannot because of their hydrolysis to free acids.
• Synthetic detergents are more soluble in water and hence, form better
lather than soaps.
• Synthetic detergents have a stronger cleansing action than soaps.

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 images.google.com
www.wikipedia.org

ISC Chemistry Class XII by Dr. H.C.

Srivastava

www.quora.com

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