A Gallery of Some Interesting Molecules From Nature
A Gallery of Interesting Molecules from Nature [In which we inch our way, very very slowly, towards spectroscopy and structure determination] Recently I wrote about
Read moreClaisen Condensation and Dieckmann Condensation
The Claisen Condensation (And Its Intramolecular Version, The “Dieckmann” Condensation) The Claisen condensation is one of the fundamental reactions of esters. In the Claisen condensation,
Read moreDecarboxylation
Decarboxylation In this article we’ll cover decarboxylation, most commonly encountered in the context of the loss of CO2 from beta-keto acids (and malonic acids) in the
Read moreThe Malonic Ester and Acetoacetic Ester Synthesis
The Malonic Ester Synthesis And Its Cousin, The Acetoacetic Ester Synthesis In the malonic ester synthesis, a di-ester of malonic acid is deprotonated with a
Read moreWhat To Expect In Organic Chemistry 2
Organic Chemistry 2 Is Largely About “Resonance” A large part of organic chemistry 1 is devoted to laying the foundations: introducing structural concepts such as
Read moreStaggered vs Eclipsed Conformations of Ethane
Staggered vs Eclipsed Conformations of Ethane, or Why Newman Projections Are Awesome The three-dimensional shape of methane (CH4) is the same under all conditions, but
Read moreDeciding SN1/SN2/E1/E2 (1) – The Substrate
The Role of The Substrate In Substitution & Elimination Reaction: SN2 vs E1/SN1 Deciding whether a reaction is SN1/SN2/E1/E2 first of all requires understanding the
Read moreStereoselective and Stereospecific Reactions
Stereoselective and Stereospecific Reactions An ideal chemical reaction would be selective for one product only. This would mean no time spent purifying our product and
Read moreConformational Isomers of Propane
The Conformational Isomers of Propane (Are Awesome) In this post we’ll explore the different conformations of propane and see that it has a slightly higher
Read moreNewman Projection of Butane (and Gauche Conformation)
The Conformational Isomers (and Newman Projections) of Butane In two previous articles we’ve discussed the conformations of ethane and propane and saw that their staggered
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