Alkanes Alkenes Alkynes

Source: Vy M. Dong and Zhiwei Chen, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA This experiment will demonstrate an example of an ozonolysis reaction to synthesize vanillin from isoeugenol (Figure 1). Ozonolysis of alkenes, an oxidation reaction between ozone and an alkene, is a common method to prepare aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. This experiment also demonstrates the use of an ozone generator and a low temperature (−78 °C) reaction. Figure 1. Diagram showing...

Aldehydes and ketones are prepared from alcohols, alkenes, and alkynes via different reaction pathways. Alcohols are the most commonly used substrates for synthesizing aldehydes and ketones. The conversion of alcohol to aldehyde, which involves the oxidation process, depends on the class of the alcohol used and the strength of the oxidizing agent. For instance, primary alcohol will form an aldehyde when treated with a weak oxidizing agent; however, it gets over-oxidized to a carboxylic acid in...

Introduction Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate. Thermodynamic Stability Catalytic hydrogenation reactions help evaluate the relative thermodynamic stability of hydrocarbons. For example, the heat of hydrogenation of acetylene is −176 kJ/mol, and that of ethylene is −137 kJ/mol. The higher exothermicity associated with...

Alkynes can be reduced to trans-alkenes using sodium or lithium in liquid ammonia. The reaction, known as dissolving metal reduction, proceeds with an anti addition of hydrogen across the carbon–carbon triple bond to form the trans product. Since ammonia exists as a gas (bp = −33°C) at room temperature, the reaction is carried out at low temperatures using a mixture of dry ice (sublimes at −78°C) and acetone. When dissolved in liquid ammonia, an alkali metal, such as sodium, dissociates into a...

All living things are formed mostly of carbon compounds called organic compounds. The category of organic compounds includes both natural and synthetic compounds that contain carbon. Although a single, precise definition has yet to be identified by the chemistry community, most agree that a defining trait of organic molecules is the presence of carbon as the principal element, bonded to hydrogen and other carbon atoms. However, some carbon-containing compounds such as carbonates, cyanides, and...