SUMMARY OF REACTION PATHWAYS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
ALKANES
POLYALKENES
PRIMARY AMINES
ALKENES
DIHALOALKANES
ALKYL
HYDROGEN
SULPHATES
HALOALKANES
EPOXYALKANES
DIOLS
ALCOHOLS
NITRILES
CARBONYLS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
You need to know the equations, conditions, reagents and type of reaction for all these
reactions.
You need to know the mechanism for some of them.
1.
Alkane  chloroalkane
reagents: Cl2
conditions: UV light
mechanism: free radical substitution
equation: RH + Cl2  RCl + HCl
2.
Alkene  polyalkene
Conditions: low T, high p.
Equation:
n
C
C
C
C
n
Type of reaction: addition polymerisation (free radical)
3.
Alkene  bromoalkane
Reagent: HX(g)
Conditions: room T
Equation:
C
+
C
H
Br
C
C
Br
H
Type of reaction: electrophilic addition
4.
Alkene  dibromoalkane
Reagent: Br2 in water or in an organic solvent
Conditions: room T
Equation:
C
+
C
Br
Br
C
C
Br
Br
Mechanism: electrophilic addition
5.
Alkene  alkylhydrogensulphate
Reagent: concentrated sulphuric acid
Conditions: cold
Equation:
C
+
C
H
OSO3H
C
C
H
OSO3H
Mechanism: electrophilic addition
6.
Alkylhydrogensulphate  alcohol
Reagent: water
Conditions: warm
Equation:
C
C
H
OSO3H
+
H2O
Type of reaction: hydrolysis
7.
Alkene  alkane
Reagent: hydrogen
Conditions: 150 oC, Ni catalyst
Equation:
C
C
+
H
H
Type of reaction: hydrogenation
C
C
H
H
C
C
H
OH
+
H
OSO3H
8.
Alkene  alcohol
Reagent: steam
Conditions: 300 oC, 60 atm, H3PO4 catalyst
Equation:
C
+
C
H
H
O
C
C
OH
H
Type of reaction: hydration
9.
Alkene  epoxyalkane
Reagent: oxygen
Conditions: 300 oC, silver catalyst
Equation:
O
C
C
+
1/2 O
O
C
C
Type of reaction: oxidation
10.
Epoxyalkane  diol
Reagent: water
Conditions: 60 oC, H2SO4 catalyst
Equation:
O
C
C
+
H
H
O
Type of reaction: hydrolysis
11.
Haloalkane  alcohol
Reagent: NaOH(aq) or KOH(aq)
Conditions: warm under reflux
Equation: R-X + OH-  R-OH + XType of reaction: nucleophilic substitution
12.
Haloalkane  nitrile
Reagent: KCN in aqueous ethanol
Conditions: boil under reflux
Equation: R-X + CN-  R-CN + XType of reaction: nucleophilic substitution
13.
Haloalkane  Amine
Reagent: ammonia in ethanol in a sealed tube
Conditions: heat
Equation: R-X + 2NH3  R-NH2 + NH4X
Type of reaction: nucleophilic substitution
HO
C
C
OH
14.
Haloalkane  alkene
Reagent: KOH in ethanol
Conditions: heat
Equation:
H
R
C
R
R
C
R
R
C
X
C
X +
R
R
R
+
Type of reaction: elimination
15.
Primary alcohol  aldehyde
Reagent: potassium dichromate and dilute sulphuric acid
Conditions: warm, distillation
Equation: RCH2OH + [O]  RCHO + H2O
Type of reaction: mild oxidation
16.
Secondary alcohol  ketone
Reagent: potassium dichromate and dilute sulphuric acid
Conditions: heat, distillation
Equation: R1CH(OH)R2 + [O]  R1COR2 + H2O
Type of reaction: oxidation
17.
aldehyde  carboxylic acid
Reagent: potassium dichromate and dilute sulphuric acid
Conditions: heat, reflux
Equation: R-CHO + [O]  R-COOH
Type of reaction: oxidation
18.
Alcohols  alkenes
Reagent: concentrated sulphuric acid
Conditions: heat
Equation:
C
C
H
OH
Type of reaction: elimination
19.
glucose  ethanol
reagent: yeast
conditions: 35 – 55 oC, no air
equation: C6H12O6  2C2H5OH + 2CO2
type of reaction: fermentation
C
C
+
H2O
H2O