Alkylation of Amines (Sucks!)
Why Alkylation Of Amines (aka “The Williamson Ether Synthesis, But For Amines” ) Usually Doesn’t Pan Out Making a more-substituted amine from a less-substituted amine
Read moreIntramolecular Friedel-Crafts Reactions
The Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts Reaction We explore the intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction in this post. But first, a very quick refresher on intramolecular reactions in general. Table
Read moreNucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (NAS)
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (NAS) In many ways, nucleophilic aromatic substitution is the mirror opposite of electrophilic aromatic substitution. In Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution, an electron-poor aromatic ring
Read moreReactions of Dienes: 1,2 and 1,4 Addition
Kinetic Versus Thermodynamic Control In Addition of HBr to Dienes: 1,2- and 1,4- Addition In today’s post we’ll discuss 1,2- and 1,4- addition to dienes
Read moreReductive Amination
Making Substituted Amines Through Reductive Amination Direct alkylation of amines with alkyl halides is a difficult reaction to control. One alternative that works extremely well
Read moreNucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (2) – The Benzyne Mechanism
In this post we’ll discuss nucleophilic aromatic substitution, but with a new twist; a nucleophilic aromatic substitution that passes through a strange-looking intermediate called an
Read moreWhat is Mutarotation?
All About Mutarotation The OH group on C-1 of sugars can have two possible configurations. This gives rise to two stereoisomers (called “anomers”) : the
Read moreReactions on the “Benzylic” Carbon: Bromination And Oxidation
The carbon adjacent to an aromatic ring – the “benzylic” carbon – can participate in several useful and interesting reactions. Today we’ll provide examples and
Read moreThermodynamic and Kinetic Products
Thermodynamic vs Kinetic Products In Purchasing Decisions (And Addition To Dienes) A post about getting what you pay for, and how that translates to “kinetic
Read moreThe Wolff-Kishner, Clemmensen, And Other Carbonyl Reductions
The Wolff-Kishner, Clemmensen, and Other Fun Reductions In this post we go through 4 ways of reducing C=O to CH2 including: The Wolff-Kishner reaction The
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