Structures of molecules can be difficult to piece together at first when you are just starting in an organic chemistry class. Hopefully you retained some of this knowledge from general chemistry. If not, one of the tricks that can greatly help with this is to know the uncharged or “normal” state for atoms that are […]
Know the “normal” state for common organic atoms [3 rules to live by] Read More »
The steps of free radical reactions in 2022 This is one of the best depictions of the steps of free radical reactions I have seen. It shows what can go on in this reactions and how we get from starting material to desired final product. Radical reactions: a quick overview first. A radical reaction is a
Steps of a Free Radical Reactions [simplified – with a great diagram] Read More »
SN1 vs SN2. Is it SN1, SN2, E1, E2? This is such a common question, not only for students but on exams too. How do you tell if it is SN1 vs. SN2? How the heck do you tell the difference between an E1, E2, SN1, SN2 reaction? Check out the chart below to start.
SN1 vs SN2. E1, E2, SN1, or SN2? [with printable chart] Read More »
Some of your professors will try to sneak this one in on you during an exam: Your professor will ask you to synthesize the symmetric diol shown below and you will either not know how or you will come up with a convoluted, difficult or wrong answer. JUST REMEMBER: Symmetric diols came from the Pinacol reaction. While
Organic Chemistry Help: Symmetric diols from the Pinacol reaction Read More »
Happy New Year! It has been a while since we have put a new organic chemistry post up, so I thought I would put a little guide up now that finals are over. The question is: How did you decipher an H1 NMR spectrum? Well, here is a good, uniform way to tackle
Organic Chemistry Help: Deciphering an NMR [with study guide] Read More »
It’s time for resonance in organic chemistry. Resonance in organic chemistry is one of the most fundamental and useful concepts you will learn in this class. Once most students hear this tip, it makes perfect sense to them, but it isn’t one that you might think of on your own. Take a look at
Resonance between equivalent atoms in organic chemistry means equal bond lengths. Read More »
I didn’t get good at drawing them until after I almost failed exam 2.
THE world’s most interesting chemist Read More »
This is some very cool chemistry. And this post is dedicated to all of those who think that the organic chemistry you learned in your class was useless. A professor and his graduate student at the University of Oregon have developed a hydrogen sulfide detector that can detect H2S in the parts per billion range
Detect Hydrogen Sulfide Using Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Read More »
Today’s site of the week is www.chemicalforums.com. I have been a part of this site for a while, and have been pretty impressed with it so far. Once you register, you can post chemistry questions for the experts to answer. The experts are extremely knowledgable, and you get a bunch of responses in a very
Helpful Chemistry Site of the Week. Read More »
Hi Everybody–Resonance is one of those issues that you will have to deal with for both semester I & II organic chemistry. It is much better to have a solid understanding of it now, rather than have to worry about it later. The basic goal of resonance structures is to show that molecules can move
Organic Chemistry Help: Resonance Read More »
