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Master Organic Chemistry

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Study and Exam Tips

Here are some posts with specific study advice.

Study Tips: Learn The Trends

Study Tips: Number Your Carbons

Study Tips: Reframe Answers As Questions

Study Tips: Draw the Ugly Version First

The Most Important Question To Ask When Learning A New Reaction

These are more general and concept-based.

The Six Pillars of Organic Chemistry

How To Do Well in Orgo: Collected Advice From Instructors 

How To Do Well in Orgo: Advice from Students (1) 

How To Do Well in Orgo: Advice from Students (2) 

Here are some outside links

Common Student Difficulties in Organic Chemistry

Golden Rules of Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry Pep Talk

Here are some SDN forum links. Broad spectrum of advice.

Is Organic Chemistry That Hard

Intimidated By Prerequisites

Any Advice For Orgo? 

I’m Seriously Considering Dropping Pre-med Because of Orgo

I Am Considering Dropping Orgo

Not A Fan of Organic Chem

Want To Drop O-Chem

Organic Chemistry Is Like A Bad Hooker

Organic Chemistry Has Violated Me Countless Times

I Just Failed Organic Chemistry I – Now What? 

 

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  • “Reagents”: A Pocket Encylopedia of Reagents for Organic Chemistry
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  • Reaction Guide
    • 1,4-addition of enolates to enones (“The Michael Reaction”)
    • 1,4-addition of nucleophiles to enones
    • 1,4-addition of organocuprates (Gilman reagents) to enones
    • Acidic cleavage of ethers (SN2)
    • Addition of aqueous acid to alkenes to give alcohols
    • Addition of Dichlorocarbene to alkenes to give dichlorocyclopropanes
    • Addition of Grignard reagents to aldehydes to give secondary alcohols
    • Addition of Grignard reagents to esters to give tertiary alcohols
    • Addition of Grignard reagents to formaldehyde to give primary alcohols
    • Addition of Grignard reagents to ketones to give tertiary alcohols
    • Addition of Grignard reagents to nitriles to give ketones (after hydrolysis)
    • Addition of HBr once to alkynes to give alkenyl bromides
    • Addition of HBr to Alkenes
    • Addition of HBr twice to alkynes to give geminal dibromides
    • Addition of HCl once to alkynes to give alkenyl chlorides
    • Addition of HCl to Alkenes to Give Alkyl Chlorides
    • Addition of HCl to alkynes twice to give geminal dichlorides
    • Addition of HI once to alkynes to give alkenyl iodides
    • Addition of HI twice to alkynes to give geminal diiodides
    • Addition of Hydroiodic Acid to Alkenes to Give Alkyl Iodides
    • Addition of LiAlH4 to aldehydes to give primary alcohols
    • Addition of LiAlH4 to ketones to give secondary alcohols
    • Addition of NaBH4 to aldehydes to give primary alcohols
    • Addition of NaBH4 to ketones to give secondary alcohols
    • Addition of organocuprates (Gilman reagents) to acid chlorides to give ketones
    • Addition to alkenes accompanied by 1,2-alkyl shift
    • Additions to alkenes accompanied by 1,2-hydride shifts
    • Aldol addition reaction of aldehydes and ketones
    • Alkylation of enamines with alkyl halides
    • Alkylation of enolates
    • Allylic bromination of alkanes using NBS
    • Base-promoted formation of enolates from ketones
    • Bromination of alkenes with Br2 to give dibromides
    • Bromination of aromatic alkanes to give alkyl bromides
    • Bromination of Aromatics to give Bromoarenes
    • Chlorination of alkenes with Cl2 to give vicinal dichlorides
    • Chlorination of Arenes to give Chloroarenes
    • Claisen Condensation of esters
    • Cleavage of ethers using acid (SN1 reaction)
    • Clemmensen Reduction of Ketones/Aldehydes to Alkanes
    • Conversion of acid chlorides to aldehydes using LiAlH(O-tBu)3
    • Conversion of acid chlorides to esters through addition of an alcohol
    • Conversion of alcohols to alkyl bromides using PBr3
    • Conversion of alcohols to alkyl chlorides using SOCl2
    • Conversion of alcohols to alkyl halides using HCl
    • Conversion of Alkyl halides to ethers (SN1)
    • Conversion of carboxylic acids into acid chlorides with SOCl2
    • Conversion of carboxylic acids to carboxylates using base
    • Conversion of carboxylic acids to esters using acid and alcohols (Fischer Esterification)
    • Conversion of tertiary alcohols to alkyl bromides using HBr
    • Conversion of tertiary alcohols to alkyl iodides with HI
    • Conversion of thioacetals to alkanes using Raney Nickel
    • Decarboxylation of beta-keto carboxylic acids
    • Dehydration of amides to give nitriles
    • Deprotonation of alcohols to give alcohols
    • Deprotonation of alkynes with base to give acetylide ions
    • Diels Alder Reaction of dienes and dienophiles
    • Dihydroxylation of Alkenes to give 1,2-diols (vicinal diols)
    • Dihydroxylation of alkenes with cold, dilute KMnO4 to give vicinal diols
    • Elimination (E1) of alkyl halides to form alkenes
    • Elimination (E2) of alkyl halides to give alkenes
    • Elimination of alcohols to give alkenes using POCl3
    • Elimination of water from alcohols to form alkenes using acid
    • Elimination with 1,2-alkyl shift
    • Formation of Acetals from Aldehydes and Ketones
    • Formation of alkynes through double elimination of vicinal dibromides
    • Formation of amides from acid chlorides and amines
    • Formation of anhydrides from acid halides and carboxylates
    • Formation of Bromohydrins from alkenes using water and Br2
    • Formation of bromohydrins from alkenes using water and NBS
    • Formation of carboxylic acids from Grignard reagents and CO2
    • Formation of chlorohydrins from alkenes using water and Cl2
    • Formation of Cyanohydrins from ketones and aldehydes
    • Formation of cyclopropanes from alkenes using methylene carbene (:CH2)
    • Formation of enamines from ketones/aldehydes and secondary amines
    • Formation of epoxides from alkenes using m-CPBA
    • Formation of epoxides from bromohydrins
    • Formation of Ethers From Alkenes and Alcohols using Hg(OAc)2
    • Formation of Gilman reagents (organocuprates) from alkyl halides
    • Formation of Grignard Reagents from Alkenyl Halides
    • Formation of Grignard Reagents from Alkyl Halides
    • Formation of hydrates from aldehydes/ketones and H2O
    • Formation of imines from primary amines and ketones
    • Formation of organolithium reagents from alkyl halides
    • Formation of thioacetals from aldehydes and ketones
    • Formation of tosylates from alcohols
    • Free Radical Bromination of Alkanes
    • Free Radical Chlorination of Alkanes
    • Friedel Crafts alkylation of arenes
    • Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatic groups to give ketones
    • Hoffmann elimination of alkylammonium salts to give alkenes
    • Hydroboration of Alkenes
    • Hydroboration of alkynes using BH3 to give aldehydes
    • Hydrogenation of Alkenes to give Alkanes
    • Hydrogenation of Alkynes to Alkanes using Pd/C
    • Hydrolysis of acetals to give aldehydes and ketones
    • Hydrolysis of esters to carboxylic acids with aqueous acid
    • Hydrolysis of imines to give ketones (or aldehydes)
    • Hydrolysis of nitriles with aqueous acid to give carboxylic acids
    • Iodination of alkenes to give vicinal diiodides (1,2-diiodides)
    • Iodination of Aromatics with I2
    • Keto-enol tautomerism
    • Nitration of aromatic groups
    • Opening of epoxides with acid and water to give trans diols
    • Opening of epoxides with nucleophiles under acidic conditions
    • Oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids using Cr(VI)
    • Oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids with Ag2O
    • Oxidation of aromatic alkanes with KMnO4 to give carboxylic acids
    • Oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes
    • Oxidation of Primary Alcohols to Aldehydes using PCC
    • Oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids
    • Oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones using PCC
    • Oxidation of thiols to disulfides
    • Oxidative cleavage of 1,2-diols to give aldehydes/ketones
    • Oxidative cleavage of alkenes to give ketones/carboxylic acids using ozone (O3) – (“oxidative workup”)
    • Oxidative cleavage of alkenes to ketones/carboxylic acids using KMnO4
    • Oxidative cleavage of alkenes using ozone (O3) to ketones and aldehydes (reductive workup)
    • Oxidative Cleavage of Alkynes with KMnO4
    • Oxidative Cleavage of Alkynes with Ozone (O3)
    • Oxymercuration of Alkynes
    • Oxymercuration: Alcohols from alkenes using Hg(OAc)2 and Water
    • Partial reduction of alkynes to trans alkenes using sodium and ammonia
    • Partial reduction of alkynes with Lindlar’s catalyst to give cis alkenes
    • Polymerization of dienes
    • Protection of alcohols as silyl ethers
    • Protonation of alcohols to give oxonium ions
    • Protonation of Grignard reagents to give alkanes
    • Reaction of alkyl halides with water to form alcohols (SN1)
    • Reaction of epoxides with nucleophiles under basic conditions
    • Reduction of aromatic nitro groups to amino groups
    • Reduction of carboxylic acids to primary alcohols using LiAlH4
    • Reduction of esters to aldehydes using DIBAL
    • Reduction of esters to primary alcohols using LiAlH4
    • Reduction of nitriles to primary amines with LiAlH4
    • SN2 of Cyanide with Alkyl Halides to give Nitriles
    • SN2 reaction between azide ion and alkyl halides to give alkyl azides
    • SN2 Reaction of Acetylide Ions with Alkyl Halides
    • SN2 reaction of alkoxide ions with alkyl halides to give ethers (Williamson synthesis)
    • SN2 reaction of alkyl halides with hydroxide ions to give alcohols
    • SN2 reaction of amines with alkyl chlorides to give ammonium salts
    • SN2 reaction of carboxylate ions with alkyl halides to give esters
    • SN2 reaction of hydrosulfide ion with alkyl halides to give thiols
    • SN2 reaction of organocuprates (Gilman reagents) with alkyl halides to give alkanes
    • SN2 reaction of thiolates with alkyl halides to give thioethers (sulfides)
    • SN2 reaction of water with alkyl halides to give alcohols
    • Substitution with accompanying 1,2-shift
    • Sulfonylation of Arenes to give sulfonic acids
    • The haloform reaction: conversion of methyl ketones to carboxylic acids
    • Transesterification promoted by alkoxides
    • Wittig Reaction – conversion of ketones/aldehydes to alkenes
    • Wolff Kishner Reaction – conversion of ketones/aldehydes to alkanes
  • Reduction of aromatic ketones to alkanes with Pd/C and hydrogen
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