How (and why) electrons flow
So what is the key “driving force” involved in chemistry? A chemist would say that “opposite charges attract, like charges repel.” But how can we
Read moreInstructor’s “kludges” of organic chemistry
A kludge, as commonly defined, is a workaround – an inelegant, quick and dirty solution to a problem. When I’m teaching a reaction or a
Read moreSynthesis (5) – Reactions of Alkynes
A Reaction Map For Alkynes (PDF) Today, we’re going to add the reactions of alkynes to our reaction map, which will bring to a close
Read moreSummary Sheet #8: The Oxidation Ladder
Following up on this post, here’s an attempt at trying to put many of the reactions in organic chemistry in perspective, from the standpoint of
Read moreHydrates, Hemiacetals, and Acetals
Hydrates, Hemiacetals, and Acetals – Their Formation From Aldehydes/Ketones, And Mechanisms That Are As Easy As P-A-D-P-E-A-D Hydrates, hemiacetals and acetals are the products of
Read moreThe Lies We Tell
Zed Shaw teaches a course in writing Python called “Python the Hard Way“. Because the hard way is easier, he says. In the end, he’s
Read moreOxidation Ladders
Once you get a handle on oxidations and reductions, you might start to notice that with some molecules these reactions can proceed in sequences. For
Read moreReagent Friday: Lithium Di-isopropyl Amide (LDA)
Lithium Diisopropyl Amide (LDA), A Strong, Sterically Hindered Base In a blatant plug for the Reagent Guide, each Friday I profile a different reagent that is
Read moreSOCl2 Mechanism For Alcohols To Alkyl Halides: SN2 versus SNi
SOCl2 Mechanism With Alcohols, With And Without Pyridine: Nucleophilic Substitution (SN2) Versus Nucleophilic Substitution With Internal Return (SNi) Most of the time, the reaction of
Read moreReagent Friday: Sodium Amide (NaNH2)
Sodium Amide (Sodamide, NaNH2), A Strong Base For The Deprotonation Of Terminal Alkynes (Among Other Uses) In a blatant plug for the Reagent Guide, each Friday
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