“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
Read moreHow (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 more