Question

Sarin is a deadly nerve gas that was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. However, it has been used at various times as a weapon of mass destruction by terrorists, including a 1995 attack in the Toyko metro and a 2013 attack by the Syrian government on rebel forces during the Syrian civil war. Sarin is an acid fluoride and ester of methyl phosphonic acid. The S‑enantiomer is more active than the R enantiomer.

Sarin's biological effects are due to its reaction with a serine residue in the active site of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that is very important in nerve transmission. Select the true statement.

a. Fluorine is the leaving group in Sarin.
b. The active site amine reacts with Sarin.
c. Isopropoxide is the leaving group in Sarin.
d. Phosphine is the leaving group in Sarin.

Answer 1

The correct answer is - a. Fluorine is the leaving group in Sarin.

Step-by-step explanation:

A leaving group is a group that leaves a complete negative charge in heterolytic cleavage when it separates out from the molecule. Sarine reacts with the active site of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase that is essential for nerve transmission.

In this given case, Sarin that is an acid fluoride and ester of methyl phosphonic acid, the fluorine atom is present is the one that leaves with a complete negative charge, therefore, fluorine is the leaving group in Sarin.

Thus, the first option is correct that Fluorine is the leaving group in Sarin.