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
What is photochemical smog and how do we prevent it from forming?
Photochemical smog is a brownish haze caused by the action of the sun’s visible and ultraviolet radiation on the primary
Continue readingWhat is photochemical smog and how do we prevent it from forming?
What are free radical substitution reactions?
Alkanes are exceptionally boring and unreactive molecules chemically speaking but we can persuade them to react with halogens in the
Continue readingWhat are free radical substitution reactions?
Why do we need to blend petrol?
Petrol needs to be blended to have the right properties in terms of its volatility and to reduce its propensity
Fractional distillation and catalytic cracking explained
Crude oil is the raw material from which alkanes are extracted via the process of fractional distillation. There is nothing
Continue readingFractional distillation and catalytic cracking explained
Structural isomerism
Structural isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but a different arrangement of atoms … you need to recognise
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
Aromatic, aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons
It’s always important to start at the beginning! There is so much terminology in organic chemistry, from the naming of
Continue readingAromatic, aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons