Succinic Acid

General Information (more on wikipidia)

Species Molecular Weight (g/mol) Density (g/L) Radius (m) Reference
Succinic Acid 118.09 1560 R [1]

Succinic acid (IUPAC systematic name: butanedioic acid; historically known as spirit of amber) is a dicarboxylic acid with the formula:

HOOC–CH2–CH2–COOH

At room temperature, pure succinic acid is a solid that forms colorless, odorless crystals. It has a melting point of 185 °C and a boiling point of 235 °C. It is a diprotic acid. The anion, succinate, is a component of the citric acid cycle and is capable of donating electrons to the electron transfer chain via the following reaction:

succinate + FAD → fumarate + FADH2

This is catalysed by the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (or complex II of the mitochondrial ETC). The complex is a 4 subunit membrane-bound lipoprotein which couples the oxidation of succinate to the reduction of ubiquinone. Intermediate electron carriers are FAD and three Fe2S2 clusters part of subunit B.

Diffusion of in water:

  • Alone at 25 degrees: $D = 940 \ \mu m^{2} s^{-1}$ [1]

Diffusion of in PBS:

Diffusion of in cellular matrix:

Bibliography
1. Cussler, E. L. 1984. Diffusion - mass transfer in fluid systems. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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