Reaction Map: Reactions of Organometallics
A Reaction Map For Organometallic Compounds After the series of posts on Alcohols, I put together a large PDF that included the reactions of alcohols,
Read moreAmide Hydrolysis
Amide Hydrolysis – Conversion of Amides To Carboxylic Acids In this post we discuss examples and mechanism of acidic hydrolysis of amides, as well as
Read moreThree Exam Tips
No doubt you’ve got some important exams coming up. With that in mind, here’s three simple tactics you can use during exams. 1. Draw partial
Read moreWhy organic chemistry is hard (2)
Today’s post is about how a simple reaction can lead to all kinds of complications. I’m talking about the Grignard reaction here, although the principles
Read moreLearning Organic Chemistry Reactions: A Checklist (PDF)
Learning A New Organic Chemistry Reaction: A Checklist 1. Some Memorization Is OK. Recently, we tried to understand what instructors mean when they say, “Don’t Memorize!”,
Read moreOrganic Chemistry Study Tips: Super-Detailed Advice
The other day a student named Peter left several comments about his specific study methods in organic chemistry. I thought it was so useful that
Read moreThionyl Chloride (SOCl2)
Thionyl Chloride, SOCl2 – Reaction With Carboxylic Acids to Give Acid Halides Thionyl chloride (SOCl2) is a useful reagent for converting carboxylic acids to acid chlorides.
Read moreDiazomethane (CH2N2)
Reactions Of Diazomethane (CH2N2) And Their Mechanisms Diazomethane is a useful (albeit highly toxic and potentially explosive) reagent for the conversion of carboxylic acids to
Read moreBredt’s Rule (And Summary of Cycloalkanes)
Bredt’s Rule: Why Don’t Bridgehead Double Bonds Form? This post is all about Bredt’s Rule (1924): double bonds cannot be placed at the bridgehead of
Read moreElectrocyclic Reactions
Electrocyclic Reactions And 4-Membered Rings: Conrotatory and Disrotatory Ring Opening And Closure In this article, we investigate electrocyclic ring-opening and ring-closing in systems with 4
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