Stereochemistry of the Diels-Alder Reaction
Here’s what we’ve learned about the Diels Alder reaction so far: [previous post in this series] 3 pi bonds are always broken 2 sigma bonds
Read morestereochemistry
Alkene Nomenclature: Cis and Trans and E and Z
This post was co-authored with Matt Pierce of Organic Chemistry Solutions. Ask Matt about scheduling an online tutoring session here. Earlier on our MOC series on cycloalkanes,
Read moreSelective vs. Specific
Many of the transformations you will encounter have the potential to create multiple products – isomers – from a single starting material. The reactions shown
Read moreAddition Reactions: Regioselectivity
In the previous post on addition, we talked about the key pattern of addition reactions [break C-C π, form two new bonds to adjacent carbons] and
Read moreAddition Reactions: Stereochemistry
In the last post on alkene addition reactions, we discussed one of the two key themes to look for in addition reactions: regiochemistry (in other words
Read moreMarkovnikov’s Rule (2) – Why It Works
Understanding Why Markovnikov’s Rule Works Let’s assemble all the facts we know about the reactions of alkenes with an acid like HCl so far. 1.Reactions
Read moreBromination of Alkenes – How Does It Work?
In a previous post we went through the key reactions of the carbocation pathway. It’s a family of reactions which proceed through 1) attack of
Read moreAn Arrow-Pushing Dilemma In Concerted Reactions
Up to now, drawing out reaction mechanisms using the curved arrow formalism has been fairly straightforward. Yes, sometimes there is some ambiguity with respect to
Read moreA Fourth Alkene Addition Pattern – Free Radical Addition
I’ve written that there are three major alkene reactivity patterns [carbocation, three membered ring, and concerted], but there are two minor pathways as well. This
Read moreSummary: Alkene Reaction Pathways
In this post we’ll do a final review of alkene addition reactions and sum up the three major pathways (and two minor classes of reactions
Read more