Orthogonality in Chemistry

 In synthetic organic chemistry, orthogonal protection is a strategy that allows the deprotection of functional groups independently of each other. This means that when multiple functional groups are present in a molecule, they can be selectively protected and deprotected without affecting the other functional groups. This is important because it allows chemists to selectively modify one part of a molecule without affecting the rest of the molecule.

For example, if a molecule has two functional groups, A and B, and we want to modify only group A, we can protect group B with a specific protecting group that is orthogonal to the protecting group used for group A. This means that we can selectively deprotect group A without affecting group B.

In chemistry and biochemistry, an orthogonal interaction occurs when there are two pairs of substances, and each substance can interact with its respective partner but does not interact with either substance of the other pair. This is important because it allows for the selective interaction of two substances without interference from other substances. For example, in biochemistry, orthogonal interactions can be used to selectively label proteins with fluorescent dyes without affecting other proteins in the cell.