How do organic reactions actually happen?
Most reactions take place via two or three steps with short-lived, unstable, intermediate ions bridging the steps from reactants to
Category: Organic chemistry
Stereoisomerism and the Cahn, Ingold, Prelog rules
Alkenes cannot rotate through their C=C double bond, it locks the structure of the molecule in place at that point.
Continue readingStereoisomerism and the Cahn, Ingold, Prelog rules
CFCs and the ozone layer
The chemistry that underlies the depletion of ozone in the stratosphere by chlorofluorocarbon molecules is really interesting – an application
The chemistry of photochemical smog
Photochemical smog is a brownish haze caused by the action of the sun’s visible and ultraviolet radiation on the primary
Free radical substitution reactions
Alkanes are exceptionally boring and unreactive molecules chemically speaking but we can persuade them to react with halogens in the
Blending petrol
Petrol needs to be blended to have the right properties in terms of its volatility and to reduce its propensity
Fractional distillation and cracking
Crude oil is the raw material from which alkanes are extracted via the process of fractional distillation. There is nothing
Structural isomerism
Structural isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but a different arrangement of atoms … you need to recognise
Understanding single and double bonds – sigma and pi bonding
Given the electronic configuration of carbon, at first glance it would seem that it has only two electrons available for
Continue readingUnderstanding single and double bonds – sigma and pi bonding
How to name an alkane
I’ve tried to simplify the rules for naming alkanes in this video – I don’t think this requires notes so