The Three Classes of Nucleophiles
I know I’ve said this before, but a whole lot of organic chemistry can be boiled down to “nucleophile attacks electrophile“. A nucleophile is a
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The Conjugate Acid Is A Better Leaving Group
Adding Acid Increases Leaving Group Ability Sure, it’s one thing to recognize halogens (Cl, Br, and I) as having high leaving group ability, as well
Read moreComparing the SN1 and SN2 Reactions
Comparing the SN1 and SN2 Reactions In nucleophilic substitution reactions, a bond between carbon and a leaving group (C–LG) is broken, and a new bond
Read moreGrignard Reagents For Addition To Aldehydes and Ketones
Grignard Reagents: Their Formation, Reactions, And Reaction Mechanisms Today’s reagent is one that most students have experience in making at some point or another. Grignard
Read moreNucleophilicity vs. Basicity
Understanding The Differences Between Nucleophilicity vs Basicity Following up on Nucleophiles and Electrophiles, here’s a common question students have about nucleophilicity: 1. What’s the difference
Read moreWhat Makes A Good Nucleophile?
Factors That Determine Whether A Species Is A Good Nucleophile If you read the last post, you’ll recall that a nucleophile is a species that
Read moreWhat Makes A Good Leaving Group?
Good Leaving Groups Are Weak Bases A leaving group (a.k.a. “nucleofuge”) is the new Lewis base that is generated in various substitution and elimination reactions when
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 moreSteric Hindrance is Like a Fat Goalie
Steric Hindrance In Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions Sportswriter Todd Gallagher asked a question that every hockey fan has probably asked at one point. “Could a morbidly
Read moreCommon Blind Spot: Intramolecular Reactions
Intramolecular Reactions So I bought a belt today (pleather, 75 cents at the Goodwill). and decided to show it off. This is me putting it
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