Organic Chemistry : Organic Reducing Agents

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Organic Chemistry

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Example Questions

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Example Question #11 : Organic Reducing Agents

What is the product of the given reaction? 

Screen shot 2015 11 13 at 3.38.24 pm

Screen shot 2015 11 13 at 3.39.24 pm

Possible Answers:

IV

I

V

II

III

Correct answer:

IV

Explanation:

First step: esterification

Second step: lithium aluminum hydride reduction

Third step: neutralization to form primary alcohol

Fourth step: SN2 reaction to form final chlorinated product

Example Question #2 : Using Lithium Aluminum Hydride

What is the result of the following reaction?

Image9

Possible Answers:

All of the above

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lithium Aluminum Hydride is a potent reducing agent; it has the ability to turn esters and aldehydes into primary alcohols, and ketones into secondary alcohols. The starting material is an aldehyde, so the correct answer is thus a primary alcohol ONLY.

Example Question #1 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents

Which of the following is not a reducing agent?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 is not a reducing agent; peroxides (compounds with the formula R-O-O-R) are oxidizing agents. A very common peroxide is sodium peroxide .

All of the other listed compounds are reducing agents.

Example Question #2 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents

Which reagents reduce alkynes to trans alkenes?

Possible Answers:

 

Meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic acid 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 produces a trans-alkene from an alkyne whereas   produces a cis-alkene.  reduces an alkyne all the way down to an alkane.  is a strong oxidizing agent.

Example Question #471 : Organic Chemistry

Img 0688

Identify the major product of the pictured reaction. Assume workup.

1. Img 0691

2. Img 0692

3. Img 0689

4. Img 0690

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

This is a standard organolithium reaction.

The organolithium product can be thought of as a strong nucleophile. The carbon steals an electron from the lithium to create . From there, the highly reactive carbo-anion is free to attack the ketone at the site of its carbon to form a tertiary alcohol on the cyclohexane.

Img 0693

Example Question #1 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents

Which of the following compounds is not an oxidizing agent?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 is the only answer choice that is not an oxidizing agent. In fact, it is a reducing agent because of the lack of oxygen atoms present. This compound adds hydrogen atoms to a compound, thereby reducing it.

Example Question #5 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents

Screen shot 2015 12 29 at 7.06.21 pm

Which of the following would be the product of the reaction given?

Possible Answers:

Screen shot 2015 12 29 at 7.06.29 pm

Screen shot 2015 12 29 at 7.06.40 pm

Screen shot 2015 12 29 at 7.06.36 pm

Screen shot 2015 12 29 at 7.06.25 pm

Correct answer:

Screen shot 2015 12 29 at 7.06.40 pm

Explanation:

Alkenes can be reduced in the presence of  and a metal catalyst like platinum to hydrogenate the alkene to give a saturated alkane. The reaction occurs in a heterogeneous solution rather than a homogenous solution. It occurs on the presence of a solid surface of the metal catalyst.

Note that the three carbon-carbon double bonds in the aromatic ring in the presence of the reducing agent does not get reduced because they are extremely stable due to resonance.

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