Questions tagged [organic-chemistry]
Use this tag for questions relating to organic molecules and their properties (structure of organic molecules, spectroscopic properties, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry etc). DO NOT use this tag as the only tag in your question, as this tag by itself cannot appropriately classify your question. Always use this tag in addition to other more specific tags.
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Do Cyclohexane-1,3-diones Give Positive Haloform Reactions?
Recently a post appeared on ChemSE asking why cyclohexane-1,3-dione (dihydroresorcinol) 1a doesn’t give a positive iodoform test. Unfortunately, the post was subsequently taken down after several ...
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Some materials emit more photoelectrons than others - why?
I've been experimenting with some materials by changing the wavelength of the incident light on the material and detecting photoelectrons, like in the diagram below:
I might get a response that looks ...
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Tetrahedrane Properties and Analogs
I took a look into some tetrahedrane ($\ce{C4H4}$) analogs, platonic hydrocarbon, basically very strained tetrahedral geometry at every carbon. I was wondering what will be the predicted delta H of ...
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Can we use phosphorous triiodide in Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky reaction?
With the help of HVZ reaction, we can get alpha-chloro or alpha-bromo carboxylic acid.
But can we make alpha-iodocarboxylic acid with the help of HVZ reaction? I could not find any reference of HVZ ...
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Green colour resulting from the formation of pi complex
Peter Sykes mentions in Guidebook to Mechanism in Organic Chemistry (6th ed.) on p.132 that there would significant differences in physical properties of the resultant mixture when we:
React ...
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Aza-enolates: why no reaction at N
My understanding is that aza-enolates have an advantage over enamines in enolate-type alkylations because the reaction at N is less likely. As a result, unactivated electrophiles can be used (i.e. ...
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Why do alpha-hydroxy ketones respond positively to Tollens', Fehling's, Benedict's, Schiff's and HgCl2 tests?
I learnt from a certain textbook that aldehydes and formic acid respond positively to Tollens', Fehling's, Benedict's, Schiff's and HgCl2 tests.
However, in another textbook I read that even alpha-...
user37316
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Rationalising diastereoselectivity of hydroboration using stereoelectronics
Using bulky reagents such as 9-BBN, hydroboration is often highly diastereoselective, giving rise to the 1,2-anti diastereomer:
This is easily explained using a steric argument, with the major ...
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Color of methoxy substituted phenyl rings when heated in the presence of acid
Anyone who's familiar with organic synthesis will probably have came across the DMB and PMB protecting groups.
When TLC-ing compounds containing these protecting groups using common stains like ...
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Frontier orbital analysis of zinc-catalysed carbonyl-ene reaction
Q1. Is the $\sigma_\ce{C-H}$ bond a donor in this reaction? If not, then can we take the alternate combination (HOMO of alkene, LUMO of the $\ce{C-H}$ bond and, HOMO of the carbonyl)?
Q2. We can also ...
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Can I make a mirror on PET plastic using Tollen's reaction?
I want to make a very shiny surface, like a mirror. I tried to use chrome paint but it's barely shiny. It's more like gray even though I bought one of the most expensive chrome looking paint.
I know ...
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Does the alpha effect apply to third row elements?
Alkylperoxy anions are stronger nucleophiles than alkoxides (the so-called alpha effect), but would an alkyldisulfide anion be a better nucleophile than an alkylthiolate anion?
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What is the difference between Fukui FMO approach and Woodward-Hoffmann rules?
If I understand correctly Frontier MO-theory is based on the perturbation theory of reactivity and the Woodward-Hoffmann rules consider conservation of orbital symmetry.
Does FMO use symmetry ...
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Why does 1,4-diiodobenzene have a non-zero dipole moment?
From this answer, I came to know that 1,4-diiodobenzene has a dipole moment of $0.19~\rm D$ in benzene at $20\ ^\circ\rm C$. On the basis of symmetry, I'd expect the bond moments due to the difference ...
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Is there a reliable chemical theory that predicts pKa based on structure?
Obviously, there are general stability arguments that can be made to estimate relative pKas, such as evaluating the stability of the conjugate base of an acid, or thinking about how polarized the bond ...
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Role of pH in azo C-coupling reaction, continued
In the question, "What is the role of pH in azo coupling reaction of diazonium with phenol and aniline?" asked by @DhrubaBanerjee and answered by @Klaus-DieterWarzecha, I find several ends ...
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Free Web-Based Orbital Solver to look into the Walsh orbitals of a perturbed cyclopropane
There exists a free online orbital calculator.
When I draw cyclopropane it plots three molecular orbitals, but unfortunately it doesn't use the Walsh orbitals.
Are there any free online tools which ...
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Alcohol to Ketone by CrO3 in cyclohexane
I have encountered an exercise question on conformation of cyclohexane and there is a statement saying, 'converting alcohol to ketone by CrO3 is much faster when R-OH is in axial position'. I would ...
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Mechanism of Hypervalent Iodine Phenolic Coupling
I need some help understanding the hypervalent iodine phenolic coupling reaction taking place in this synthesis of morphine, the reaction uses $\ce{PhI(OAc)2}$ as the hypervalent reagent and ...
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The Action of Nitrogen Iodide on Methyl Ketones
I recently encountered two old publications on action of nitrogen iodide on various compounds (Ref.1 and Ref.2). Between them, Ref.1 described the iodoform formation by methyl ketones upon treatment ...
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Why does reduction using sodium borohydride require a protic solvent?
Recently, I was looking at the chapter on chemoselectivity in Clayden et al.'s Organic Chemistry (2nd ed.). On p. 530, it is mentioned that sodium borohydride reduction only occurs in protic solvents ...
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Is hydronium an electrophile, nucleophile, both or neither?
Is hydronium an electrophile or a nucleophile? I expected $\ce{H3O+}$ to be a nucleophile due to the presence of electrons in the $\ce{2p}$ orbitals of $\ce{O}$. But the answer key of the test states ...
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Why are lithium (Z)-enolates more stereoselective than (E)-enolates in aldol reactions?
In aldol reactions, it is apparently a general rule of thumb that (Z)-enolates give higher stereoselectivity (for the syn aldol product) than (E)-enolates do for the anti product. Quoting Carey & ...
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Sulfonyl azides: diazo or azide transfer?
Sulfonyl azides, $\ce{RSO2N3}$, are capable of acting as sources of electrophilic azide ("$\ce{N+3}$"), but are also capable of effecting diazo transfer, as shown in the scheme below, taken from ref 1:...
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Where is bifurcation situated on cyclohexane isomerisation PES?
I am wondering what does PES for cyclohexane isomerisation looks like.
I have two possibilities in mind but each has some kind of vagueness.
1) Starting from boat conformation minimum, followed by ...
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Stereoselectivity of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions
How do the 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions follow the endo rule as in the reaction below, where the anti diastereoisomer is formed predominantly?
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Grubbs, Wittig & hydroboration reactions and Woodward-Hoffmann rules
Several organic mechanisms I know involve [2+2] cycloadditions and retro-[2+2] cycloadditions, namely:
The Wittig reaction
Hydroboration of an alkene
Olefin metathesis (using Grubbs' catalyst)
How ...
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Mysterious violet-purple compound in "Gerber Method" & "Banana oil synthesis"
During the determination of fat in milk (Gerber method), in a milk butyrometer are mixed milk + $\ce{H2SO4}$ 90% w/w + isoamyl alcohol (isopentyl alcohol) and heating.
The acidic mixture separates ...
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Do all α-hydroxy ketones give Tollens’ test?
It is well known that terminal α-hydroxy ketones give Tollens’ test, via tautomerisation. Also, α-hydroxy ketones flanked by aromatic groups give Tollens’ test, such as benzoin.
But do all α-hydroxy ...
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Why do poisoned catalysts (Lindlar, nickel borate) result in partial hydrogenation of alkynes?
I read that alkene is more reactive than alkyne, so in hydrogenation of alkynes, it's difficult to isolate the alkenes.
But with poisoned catalysts like Lindlar's catalyst or Nickel-Boron (Ni2B), they ...
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Is a hydrocarbon bio-battery feasible?
Hydrocarbons have some of the highest energy densities and specific energies of any chemical fuel. Unfortunately, our primary use of them is in thermal engines, whose efficiency is limited by Carnot'...
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Distilling milligram quantities of oil like it's late 1970s
In a currently retracted* manuscript by Tomas Hudlicky [1, Retraction Watch] the following has been noted:
Fifty years ago professors took an active part in all laboratory instructions and they ...
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What is the hybridization state of the carbon atoms in [10]annulene?
I know that one of the more stable structures of [10]annulene or cyclodecapentaene is planar boat-shaped. But that means the hybridization state of the carbons must have changed to suit the geometry. ...
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Is the 9H-fluoren-9-ylium cation aromatic?
In this cation, there are two individual benzene rings which are aromatic. But in the entire π system, there are 12 π-electrons which should make it antiromatic. Which is correct?
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How can I solve this synthesis?
I have this task to do:
My solution:
Is that possible? Can you please help me with the steps 2 and 3?
This is what I did, but my teacher told me I should make the diketone (compound no. 5) from ...
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Bredt's rule applied to fused bicyclic systems
Ultimate question: Is Bredt's rule equally valid for fused bicyclic system (no bridgehead alkenes without a ring 8 carbons or more), but for other reasons (historical?) it is only defined as applying ...
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How can organocuprates generated with catalytic Cu(I) be competitive in 1,4-addition to an enone?
Organocopper compounds (e.g. $\ce{LiCuR_2}$) are often prepared from an organolithium or Grignard reagent when a soften nucleophile is needed, such as for a conjugate addition to an $\alpha,\beta$-...
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Why does phenol react on oxygen in the Gattermann–Koch reaction?
When discussing the Gattermann–Koch reaction on phenol substrates, it has been said that O-acylation is a problematic competing reaction as
in a phenol, there's high electron density on the O atom [...
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Why is o-fluorophenol a stronger acid than p-fluorophenol?
The $\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a}$ value of o-fluorophenol is $8.7$, while that of the p-fluorophenol is $9.9$. It's obvious that the inductive effect is more dominant at ortho-position, which results in a ...
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Accurate textbook about synthesis of (organophosphorus) chemical warfare agents
Lately I've been interested in the chemistry of nerve agents due to reading Patrick's Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry in which they were only briefly discussed. I bought the Handbook of Toxicology ...
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Which of the five conformers of propyl propanoate is most stable?
I've worked out five different conformations of propyl propanoate:
I think the bisected conformations (E) should be the most stable one.
Are my rationals and suggestions in my scheme correct?
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Orientation in benzene rings with more than one substituent
Why is it that the chlorination of 1-chloro-3-nitrobenzene (18) gives 1,4-dichloro-2-nitrobenzene (19) as the major product, 1,2-dichloro-3-nitrobenzene (20) as a minor product and 1,2-dichloro-4-...
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Can an SN1 reaction occur in compounds with the leaving group attached to a primary carbon, which can later rearrange?
Can SN1 reactions occur in compounds where the carbocation, even though is is initially $1^\circ$, can rearrange to form a more stable carbocation?
Examples cases:
user14857
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Which singlet dihalocarbene has the strongest carbon-halogen bond?
There are three singlet carbenes - difluorocarbene, dichlorocarbene and dibromocarbene. Which has the strongest carbon halogen bond?
Obviously backbonding is a point to be considered, as carbene is ...
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3-Step Transformation to Humulone
I have some ideas on how this transformation may occur. We're currently studying Ch. 3 (Polar Rxn's under Acidic Conditions) from Grossman's book.
I've found some data online that shows we can perform ...
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Why are the unsaturated fatty acids usually unconjugated?
My textbook gives the structures of the unsaturated fatty acids in food including oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and docosatetraenoic acid. I figure that when two or more $\ce{C=C}$ double ...
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Temperature control and side reactions in PPAA (T3P) couplings
In a lot of procedures for amide couplings (acid + amine) using PPAA, the coupling agent is added to a cooled solution of the acid, amine, and a non-nucleophilic base such as DIPEA. This is done even ...
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Difference between Tishchenko reaction and Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction
For the Tishchenko reaction, Al(OEt)3 is used as reagent where an aldehyde is oxidized as well as reduced, so it's a redox reaction.
Whereas in Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction, an aldehyde is ...
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Mechanism for Ce(IV) Oxidation of Naphthalene
S. Cotton's Lanthanide and Actinide Chemistry reports that naphthalene can be oxidized to naphthalene-1,4-dione using cerric ammonium sulfate (CAS), $\ce{MeCN, H2SO4},$ and $\ce{H2O}$.1 No mechanism ...
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How do bonds rotate in pericyclic reactions?
In Pericyclic reactions, it is shown that the terminal bonds rotate (conrotation or disrotation) to allow for allignment of the FMO's, thereby forming the sigma bond
However, a detail that most of my ...
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