Welcome to “Orgo Hacks”
…learning organic chemistry efficiently? What are the most important concepts in undergraduate organic chemistry? How are these concepts best communicated and learned? How do you tell the difference between things…
Read more…learning organic chemistry efficiently? What are the most important concepts in undergraduate organic chemistry? How are these concepts best communicated and learned? How do you tell the difference between things…
Read more…Relevant electrophiles: α,β unsaturated carbonyls [example – row E] Relevant (anionic) nucleophiles: Grignards, enolates, alkoxides/hydroxide, hydrides. Key concepts to know: 1) pKa (the reactivity of an α, β unsaturated carbonyl…
Read more…reaction, as well as quizzes and further examples of the reaction. Table of Contents The Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky Reaction Red Phosphorus (P) And Bromine: The Reactants From “Hell” Descent Into Hell: PBr3…
Read moreLet’s say you get asked this exam question: All else being equal, what’s a better nucleophile: water or OH(-) ? Acetic acid or OAc(-)? HF or F(-)? [Let’s agree to…
Read more…DOI: 10.1021/cr60052a001 Early review and historical perspective on the haloform reaction.Several examples of haloform reactions, from Organic Syntheses, a collection of reliable methods for the preparation of organic compounds: β-NAPHTHOIC…
Read more…introductory organic chemistry course might find it useful. Note that the examples come from material in my students’ course… your course material may vary. Someday I’ll put together a more…
Read more…you on your exam: because there are a finite number of core principles and an infinite number of permutations. ————- Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle as applied to teaching: you can have…
Read more…be isolated organic chemistry questions. Instead, the new MCAT is an integrated exam where you’ll be faced with research- and experiment-style passages combining multiple disciplines into a single passage and…
Read more…example of imine formation from benzaldehyde and ethylamine, from Organic Syntheses Coll. Vol. 5, 736 (open-access, click to see procedure). In this case, condensation is extremely rapid. The water that…
Read more…is shown in this animated GIF: via GIPHY You may recall, during the chapter on electrophilic aromatic substitution, that amino groups (-NH2, -NHR, -NR2) are strongly activating ortho-para directors. You…
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