The Language of Organic Chemistry


Table of Contents


Chapter 1, Getting Ready for Reactions 1

   About the Atom 1

   Resonance Structures 2

   The Curved Arrow 2

   Guide for drawing resonance structures 3

   Resonance Structures 3

   Anion Resonance structures 3

   Cation Resonance Structures 4

   Neutral Resonance Structures, with NBE 5

   Neutral Resonance Structures, w/o NBE 6 

Chapter 2, Acid-Base Chemistry 8

   Bronsted-Lowrey Acids and Bases 8

   Lewis acids and bases 13 

Chapter 3, Substitution Reactions 14

   SN2 Substitution Reactions 14

   SN1 Substitution Reactions 17 

Chapter 4, Elimination Reactions 18

   Bromobutane Elimination 18

   Other Elimination Reactions 19

   Acetylene Formation 20

   Hofmann Elimination 21

   Cope Elimination 21 

Chapter 5, Electrophilic Add. to Alkenes and Alkynes 22

   Addition of HX and H2O to Alkenes 22

   Bromination 25

   Oxymercuration 26

   Hydroboration-oxidation of Alkene 27

Carbon-Carbon Triple Bond Electrophilic Reactions

   Add. to an Internal Acetylene 28

   Add. to a Terminal Acetylene 29

   Disiamylborane Hydroboration-Oxid. of Acetylene 30 

Chapter 6, Rearrangement Reactions 31

   Pinacol Rearrangement 31

   Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation 31

   Benzilic Acid Rearrangement 32

   Dakin Reaction 32

   Acetone from Cumene 33 

Chapter 7, Electrocyclic reactions 34

   Diels Alder Reactions 34

   Other Electrocyclic Reactions 37 

Chapter 8, Carbonyl Add. Reactions 38

   Grignard Add. to a Carbonyl Group 38

   Alkyllithium Add. to a Carbonyl Group 38

   Wittig Reaction 39

   Addition-Elimination Reactions 40

   Ketal Formation and Hydrolysis 40

   Oxime Formation 41

   Add. of Cyanide to a Carbonyl Group 41

   Rxns of Acyl Chlorides, Anhydrides, Esters, and Amides 42

   Esters f Acid Chlorides or Anhydrides 42

   Amides f Acid Chlorides or Anhydrides 43

   Ester f Acid with Acid Catalysis (Fischer Esterification) 44

   Acid Catalyzed Hydrolysis of an Ester 44

   Base Catalyzed Hydrol. of Ester (Saponification) 45

   Hydrolysis of an Amide 45

   Grignard Add. to an Ester 46

   Add. to a Nitrile 47 




Chapter 9, Reactions of Enols and Enolates 49

   Aldol Reaction 49

   Claisen Condensation 51

   Acetoacetate Synthesis 52

   Halogenation of Carbonyl Compounds 53

   Michael Add. or 1,4-Conjugate Add. Rxn 54

   Enamine Alkylation 55 

Chapter 10, Dehydration Agents 56

   Thionyl Chloride Reaction with an Alcohol 56

   Rxn of Toluenesulfonyl Chloride with an Alcohol. 56

   Rxn of Phosphorus Tribromide with an Alcohol 57

   Conversion of an Amide to a Nitrile with Acetic Anhydride 57

   Rxn of Carboxylic Acid w/ Thionyl Chloride 58

   Rxn of Carboxylic Acid w/ Thionyl Chloride/DMF Catalyst 58 

Chapter 11, Reduction Reactions 59

   Sodium Borohydride Reductions 59

   Lithium Aluminum Hydride Reductions 60

   Reductive Amination 62

   DIBAH Reduction of an Ester 63

   Wolff Kischner reduction 63

   Reduction of alkyne with sodium ammonia 64

   Catalytic Reduction of Nitrobenzene 64 

Chapter 12, Oxidation reactions 65

   General form for oxidation 65

   Chromic Acid Oxidation of 1-Butanol 65

   Pyridinium Chlorochromate Oxidation 66

   Tollens Oxidation 66

   Hypochlorite Oxidation 66

   Swern Oxidation 67

   Ozone Oxidation 68

   Osmium Tetroxide, Potassium Permanganate, and Periodate Oxidations 69 

Chapter 13, Organometallic Reactions 70

   Acyclic Heck Reaction 70

   Cyclic Heck Reaction 71

   Catalytic Reduction of an Alkene 72

   Gilman Reagent 72 

Chapter 14, Aromatic Substitution Reactions 73

   Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution 73

   Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution 76

   Benzyne Reaction 76

   Diazonium Chemistry 77 

Chapter 15, Carbene and Nitrene Reactions 78

   Carbene Reactions 78

   Carbene Addition 78

   Curtius Rearrangement 79

   Hoffmann Rearrangement 80 

Chapter 16, Radical Reactions 81

   Free Radical Bromination (or Chlorination) Rxn 81

   Allylic Bromination with NBS 82

   Radical Add. of Hydrogen Bromide 83

   Notes 84

   Common Compounds and Abbreviations 84C