Our Organic Chemistry Professor gave us a challenge question for extra credit. (please read details)?

Question

Our Organic Chemistry Professor gave us a challenge question for extra credit. We have to write a paragraph on the chemical formula of benzodiazepines and I'm having a really hard time. I have a D in the class right now, and I really could use the extra points. So far I've come up with this
R = Methyl Methyl- carboline-3-caroxylate (CCM)
R = Ethyl Ethyl - carboline-3-caroxylate (CCE)
R = Propyl Propy - carboline-3-caroxylate (CCP)
I looked up the chemical formula for Ativan and they were 7- chloro -5- (o-chlorophenyl) -1,3 - dihydro -3- hydroxy -2H- 1,4 - benzodiazepin -2-)
Do you think this is good or do I need to be more specific?

Answer 1

You've looked up a list of benzodiazepines, great effort!

However, I THINK your professor wants you to discuss the STRUCTURAL FEATURES of benzodiazepines (e.g. alkanes only have C-C single bonds; alkenes have C=C double bonds; etc.)

See the "chemistry" section of http://www.acnp.org/G4/GN401000172/CH168.html and the last line in paragraph 1 of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepines

Using those the descriptions from those sites, you might write something like, "Their chemical structure is based upon diazepine and phenyl groups, where a 1,4-diazepine ring that contains a 5-aryl Substituent Ring and is fused to a benzene ring."

Another source of info is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diazepine

Please bear in mind that I don't know what your class is like so I might have misinterpreted your professor's intentions, but I'm QUITE certain that he would want you to describe the compound's structure, rather than just provide a list of benzodiazepine-derived compounds. (He did ask for a PARAGRAPH, after all)

Do show him what you've come up with so far, and ask if you're on the right track.

Hope this helps. All the best with your class!