Important Organic Chemistry Rxns For The Mcat

Front 1

Weak Oxidation Reaction : Conversion of an alcohol, to an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid.

Back 1

1. Cro3 is a weak oxidizing agent.

2. KMnO4 is a weak oxidizing agent.

3. Both reagents raise the oxidation state by 1.

4.Weak oxidizing agents are usually Metals with High Oxidation states bonded to oxygen.

Front 2

Strong Oxidation Reaction: Uses KMnO4 + Heat.

Conversion of alcohol to carboxylic acid in one step.

Back 2

Front 3

Oxidative Cleavage Reaction : Weak Oxidation of a Pi Bond

Back 3

Does not oxidize molecule to its most oxidized state.

Front 4

Oxidative Cleavage Reaction : Strong Oxidation of a Pi Bond

Back 4

Oxidizes molecule to its most oxidized state.

Front 5

How many products would be formed by the oxidative cleavage of hex-1,3,5-triene?

Back 5

4

Front 6

Epoxidation of a Double Bond

Back 6

Front 7

Glycol Formation and cleavage

Back 7

Treatment with OsO4 forms the diol. Treatment with HIO4 or NaIO4 will cleave the structure into two aldehydes.

Front 8

Reduction Reaction with a WEAK reducing Reagent (NaBH4)

Back 8

Sodium borohydride is the reagent. It is a weak reducing agent; reduces aldehydes and ketones.

Front 9

Reduction reaction with a STRONG reducing Reagent (LiAlH4)

Back 9

LiAlH4 is a strong reducing agent. This would be used in reactions where we want to reduce a carboxylic acid down to an alcohol.

Front 10

Common Carboxylic Acid Names to Know

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Front 11

Common names of the Salts of the Carboxylic Acids

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Front 12

Naming of a Cyclic Carboxylic Acid

Back 12

The carboxylic acid group has priority over all groups.

Front 13

Naming of a Carboxylic Acid with 2 carboxylic acids in it.

Back 13

"dioc acid": Make sure substituents have the lowest numbers possible.

Front 14

Common Diacids to Know

Back 14

The mnemonic listed by number of increasing carbon atoms. (2,3,4,5,6,7)

Front 15

What the physical properties of a carboxylic acid?

Back 15

High boiling point, because it can hydrogen bond.

Front 16

Acidity of carboxylic acids

Back 16

Carboxylic acids are weak acids that only partially dissociate into carboxylate and H+ ions. The conjugate base is resonance stabilized.

Front 17

How can you increase the acidity of carboxylic acids.

Back 17

By adding electron-withdrawing groups. (Inductive Effect)

Front 18

Decarboxylation

Back 18

Decarboxylation is a form of oxidation. Carbon gains another bond to oxygen; CO2 is gaseous and bubbles out of the reaction and drives the forward process.

Front 19

Decarboxylation reaction (with Acid (H+) )

Back 19

Hydrogen from the hydroxyl group within the carboxylic acid, is abstracted by the other carbonyl oxygen, pushing several electrons and forming carboxylic acid. The second product (enol intermediate) undergoes tautomerization, reforming the carbonyl.

Front 20

What is an important biological result of saponification?

Back 20

Formation of micelles.

Front 21

Beta-keto acids undergo decarboxylation after heating.

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Front 22

Treatment of benzoic acid .25 equivalents of LAH would yield 1/4 of the reaction because we would only be working with 1 Hydride.

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