Common Mistakes with Carbonyls: Carboxylic Acids… Are Acids!
Carboxylic acids… are acids. I know that seems obvious. But it’s a near certainty that students taking Org 2 for the first time will forget
Read moreCarboxylic acids… are acids. I know that seems obvious. But it’s a near certainty that students taking Org 2 for the first time will forget
Read moreHere’s another great example of how one reagent used in a certain context performs one thing, and in a different context performs a completely different
Read moreLoyal reader Sandy writes in with a comment about memorization: I wish I had understood much earlier that there is a place for memorization in
Read moreSome time ago I published this post on Reagent Friday discussing the mechanism of SOCl2 converting secondary alcohols to alkyl chlorides with secondary through an
Read moreWhen figuring out what the product of a reaction is, there are really two important steps. 1. Figuring out where the electrons go. 2. Drawing
Read moreMy one-sentence advice to those about to write an exam: Number your carbons. Now go write your exam. If you need reasons, here they are.
Read moreToday’s post is about how a simple reaction can lead to all kinds of complications. I’m talking about the Grignard reaction here, although the principles
Read moreThe beginning of a new semester is a quiet time. Time to resolve to do things differently. Try and fix problems from last semester to
Read moreThere is a knack to drawing proper tetrahedrons. And some very common pitfalls that might not be immediately obvious. One of the challenges that has
Read moreNo discussion of resonance structures would be complete without mention of how to royally screw them up. This isn’t something to feel bad about, by the
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