Equilibrium and Energy Relationships
One kcal/mol is actually a lot This article discusses the relationship between the equilibrium constant K and the difference in energy ΔG, and explores some
Read moreBlog Carnival: What the Cope Rearrangement Taught Me About Chemistry
Note: to celebrate the International Year of Chemistry 2011, there’s a blog carnival going on. This is my contribution. If you can’t follow the structural
Read morePolar Protic? Polar Aprotic? Nonpolar? All About Solvents
Polar Protic vs Polar Aprotic vs Nonpolar: About Solvents In Organic Chemistry A lot of students I talk to have questions about solvents. Solvents can
Read moreHow to Get An A In Organic Chemistry
When I ask my students what their goal for the course is, the most common answer is this: “To get an A”. I don’t know
Read moreA Handy Rule of Thumb for Acid-Base Reactions
Reversible And Irreversible Acid-Base Reactions Last time we learned about pKa and how it’s the closest thing we have to a universal measurement of the
Read more“Reagents”: A Pocket Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Chemistry
Reagents is a new app for iPhone and iPad that gives you all the key information about the most commonly encountered reagents in undergraduate organic chemistry
Read moreReagent Friday: PCC (Pyridinium Chlorochromate)
Pyridinium Chlorochromate (PCC), A Useful Oxidant For Alcohols In Organic Chemistry In a blatant plug for the Reagent Guide, each Friday I profile a different reagent
Read moreWhat’s a Transition State?
Here’s a question that comes up a lot: What’s a transition state? A transition state is a very short-lived configuration of atoms at a local
Read moreHammond’s Postulate
Last week Diana left this comment: I recently had my first orgo exam and one of the concepts that I have trouble visceralizing is Hammond’s
Read moreDi-isobutyl Aluminum Hydride (DIBAL) For The Partial Reduction of Esters and Nitriles
DIBAL (Di-isobutyl Aluminum Hydride) – A Bulky Reducing Agent For The Partial Reduction Of Esters and Nitriles DIBAL (also known as DIBAL-H or DIBAH) is
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