Organic Chemistry 2

Question 1

What are the characteristics of aromatic compounds?

Answer 1

Cyclic, conjugated molecules with 4n+ 2 pi electrons, have planar conformations to allow maximum overlap of conjugated pi orbitals

Question 2

What is Huckel’s Rules?

Answer 2

4N +2 pi electrons (n is an integer), only electrons INSIDE THE RING counts

Question 3

What is an electrophilic aromatic substitution and what are some types?

Answer 3

Electrophile replaces a proton on the aromatic ring, producing a substituted aromatic compound, need acidic catalyst

Examples: Halogenation, sulfonation, nitration and acylation

Question 4

What are activators and deactivators?

Answer 4

Activators cause the next reaction to occur more quickly and easily while deactivators cause the next reaction to occur more slowly and with greater difficulty

Question 5

What are the 3 classes of substituents in decreasing strength of effect?

Answer 5

1. Activating, ortho/para directing substituents (electron donating): NH2 > NR2 > OH > NHCOR > OR > OCOR> R
2. Deactivating, ortho/para directing substituents (weakly electron withdrawing): F > Cl > Br > I
3. Deactivating, meta directing substituents (electron withdrawing): NO2 > SO3H > carbonyl compounds including COOH, COOR, COR and CHO

Question 6

What is more acidic; phenols or aliphatic alcohols?

Answer 6

Phenols due to their resonance structures

Question 7

What types of reactions synthesize alcohols?

Answer 7

Addition, substitution and reduction

Question 8

What reductions do LiAlH4 and NaBH4 do?

Answer 8

LiAlH4 reduces carboxylic acids and esters to alcohols

NaBH4 reduces aldehydes and ketones to alcohols