What simple geometric shapes do molecules exhibit?

[Loren Booda]

What types of simple geometric shapes are represented by molecules? I think of linear polymers, DNA, buckyballs, benzene rings, various crystal lattices...

What comes to your mind? Other polygons, hyperbolas, parabolas, spirals, fractals, ovals...?

How about what's the most random or complex molecule you know?

 

[Chemicalsuperfreak]

What kind of shape are you looking for? I've got it. I've got triangles, I've got squares, pentagons, crap, you name the number of corners you want in you're polygon and we've got it.

We've got pyramids, cubes, dodecahedrons. We've got a special on israelane, a 3-D Star of David. We've got molecular anthropomorhpic stick figures. Buckytubes, buckyballs, buckyonions, bucky peapods. We've got anything you can think, and our inventory's growing everyday.

Pss, let me get you in on a little secret, friend, cause I like your face. If it's complexity you're looking for, look no further than natural products, and there's nothing that geometrical regular solids have on these babies. Take a look at our taxol, or tetradodoxin. Take a gander at rapamycin, calicheamycin, brevetoxin, and the grand daddy of them all... maitotoxin.

 

[Bystander]

Originally posted by Chemicalsuperfreak
... maitotoxin.

What's the story on this one? Ugliest thing in my database is ciguatoxin (?), Chem. Rev. about ten years ago on natural products.

 

[Chemicalsuperfreak]

Originally posted by Bystander
What's the story on this one? Ugliest thing in my database is ciguatoxin (?), Chem. Rev. about ten years ago on natural products.

Don't know about ciguatoxin, but here's a link with the structure of maitotoxin.

http://mol.ch.wani.osaka-u.ac.jp/lab/murata/murata/achiev_engl.html

It's clearly related to brevetoxin, the principle toxin in red tide.

 

[Bystander]

Let's see the IUPAC name for that puppy. Thanks, I should see if I can dredge up the beast I saw in Chem. Rev. --- strikes me it went around 9000 --- I'd swear ciguatoxin, but don't really want to bank on it.

(edit)
Don't hold your breath, anyone --- just went through the entire review article, Chem, Rev. July-Aug 93, and nothing matches what I remember; maitotoxin does appear as the largest non-repetitive biomolecule for which structure has been elucidated.