All Organic Chemistry Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Predicting Benzene Orientation
What is the product of the given reaction?
This is a trick question on Friedal-Craft alkylation. If you didn't pick the starting material, that is because you forgot the rule that alkylation cannot happen on a highly deactivated aromatic ring. Since is a highly deactivating group the answer is no reaction, or:
Example Question #14 : Benzene Additions
What is the product for the following reaction?
While both the bromide and the alkyl group are ortho/para directing groups, the alkyl group is more activating and therefore the carbonyl will be added ortho to that substituent. The and work to reduce the carbonyl to an .
Example Question #371 : Organic Chemistry
Predict the product of the given reaction.
II
IV
I
III
IV
This is an example of a Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction, where an acyl group (an alkyl group with a carbonyl group) is added at the carbonyl carbon (shown below). Aluminum chloride is used as a catalyst in this reaction.
Example Question #372 : Organic Chemistry
What is the product of the reaction shown?
IV
II
I
III
II
This reaction is known as a nitration reaction, in which a nitro group ( group) is added to an aromatic ring. Nitric acid is used because this reaction occurs in an acidic solution.
Example Question #1 : Isomers
Which of the following lists the product(s) of the presented reaction?
Both trans and cis-1-4-dimethylcyclohexane
None of the other answers is correct.
Only cis-1-4-dimethylcyclohexane
Only trans-1-4-dimethylcyclohexane
Methylcyclohexane
Both trans and cis-1-4-dimethylcyclohexane
Hydrogen and a catalyst like paladium reduce the double bond to a single bond. There is no equal steric hinderance on each side. The hydrogen can bond from either side. That means the methyl group can either be oriented into the page or out of the page. One form is cis, and one form is trans.
Example Question #1 : Help With Cis Trans Isomers
I.
II.
III.
Which of the given molecules is(are) chiral?
I and III
II and III
I only
I, II, and III
I and II
I and III
For a molecule to be chiral, it must have a stereocenter and no axis of symmetry. An atom with a stereocenter has no identical bonds; it is a carbon atom with four unique substituents. There are two stereocenters in each of the three molecules. Notice that if you take the second molecule and draw a line connecting the top carbon and the point between the the two carbons with hydroxy groups, it has an axis of symmetry and therefore cannot be chiral. There is no way to draw that axis of symmetry for molecules one and three.
Example Question #1 : Isomers
How many stereocenters does the given molecule have?
Five
Four
Three
Two
One
Two
A stereocenter exists when the central atom is bound to four unique substituents. In the given molecule, the carbons are numbers from left to right. Carbons 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8 are all bound to at least two hydrogen atoms and cannot be stereocenters. Similarly, the carbons in the two methyl groups (bound to C4 and C7) do not qualify as stereocenters. Carbon 7 has two identical methyl substituents. This leaves only C2 and C4. The molecule has two stereocenters.
Example Question #371 : Organic Chemistry
What is the IUPAC name of the molecule shown?
E-pent-3-enoic acid
Z-5-carboxy-2-pentene
E-5-carboxy-2-pentene
Z-pent-3-enoic acid
Z-pent-3-enoic acid
Carboxylic acid is highest priority, so carbon chain labelled from right to left. Since highest priority groups are on the same side of the double bond, it's given the "Z" designation.
Example Question #12 : Isomerism And Stereoisomers
How many stereoisomers would be obtained by the hydrogenation of compound C?
Three
Zero
Four
Two
One
Two
The hydrogenation of compound C would add two hydrogen atoms across the double bond, but would generate only one new stereocenter. This stereocenter would be found on the third carbon in the chain (from the right), which would be bound to the phenyl substituent, a methyl group, a hydrogen atom, and the remaining branched carbon chain.
The hydrogenation reaction would create a racemic mixture of both possible orientations of this stereocenter, with both enantiomers present in equal amounts. There would this be two stereoisomer products obtained from the hydrogenation of compound C.
Example Question #2 : Isomers
How many stereoisomers are possible for the compound 2,3,4-trimethylpentane?
Five
One
Four
Three
Two
One
2,3,4-trimethylpentane does not contain any stereocenters. The structure is a five-carbon chain, with the end carbons bonded to three hydrogens each. The three central carbons each carry a methyl group and a hydrogen atom.
Remember that a stereocenter is only present when a carbon is bound to four different substituents. The 2 and 4 carbons both have two methyl groups (the end carbons and the added groups), so they would contain a plane of symmetry and would not be stereocenters. Likewise, a plane of symmetry exists at the 3 carbon; the substituents toward the 1 carbon and 5 carbon are the same. This compound, therefore, would have no stereocenters and could only exist as one stereoisomer.
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