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At first sight benzene seems surprisingly unreactive for an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Benzene does not decolourise bromine water when shaken with
Continue readingElectrophilic substitution reactions of benzene
Acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides are derivatives of carboxylic acids. Acyl chlorides Acyl chlorides are made by chlorinating a carboxylic
Continue readingThe reactions of acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides
Esters are a derivative of carboxylic acids and formed from the reaction between a carboxylic acid or an acyl chloride
And why do some perfectly plausible reactions just not happen? Acyl chlorides readily react with hydroxide ions to form a
There are number of ways to make a halogenoalkane, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Halogenation of
There are many reactions which happen as the stoichiometric (chemical) equation would suggest … e.g. the reaction between chlorine radicals
Continue readingReaction mechanisms, intermediates and the rate determining step
If we dehydrate an alcohol, we are essentially removing a water molecule and the product will be an alkene. The
Continue readingElimination reactions – dehydrating an alcohol
The reaction of an alkene with water to from an alcohol is an example of a hydration reaction. The alkene
Continue readingElectrophilic addition in alkenes (3) – reaction with water to form an alcohol
The classic test for an alkene is to shake your sample with orange bromine water, and if the molecule contains
Continue readingElectrophilic addition in alkenes (2) – the bromine water test
The mechanism for addition polymerisation is another example of a radical reaction. Teflon (PTFE), famously known for its non-stick properties,
Continue readingMaking addition polymers by radical polymerisation