organic synthesis

• Organic Synthesis is a topic in AS Chemistry CIE 3.9.
• In the reaction of methyl hexanoate with ammonium chloride, hexanoic acid and ammonium chloride are formed.
• Multi-Step Synthesis is a part of Organic Synthesis.
• Synthetic Routes are a part of Organic Synthesis.
• Identifying organic functional groups, their properties, how to test for their presence and how they are made is a part of Organic Synthesis.
• The table below summarises the tests to identify the presence of certain functional groups and the reactions to make them.
• The different types of reactions that functional groups can undergo are a part of Organic Synthesis.
• Certain functional groups only react with specific oxidising and reducing agents which you should be aware of.
• The test also requires you to distinguish between the different tests that identify functional groups in a compound.
• The nitrile is then reducted with dilute aqueous sulfuric acid causing hydrolysis of the nitrile, forming a carboxylic acid and ammonium salt.
• Multi-step synthetic routes can be critically analysed to determine whether appropriate reagents and reaction conditions are used and to predict possible by-products of a synthetic reaction.
• The first step in the synthesis of hexanoic acid involves a nucleophilic addition of CN using NaCN as catalyst and heat to form a hydroxynitrile.
• Halogenoalkanes can undergo nucleophilic substitution with ethanolic KCN in which the CN ion acts as a nucleophile and replaces the chlorine atom in 1-chloropentane to form a nitrile.
• The treatment of nitriles with concentrated hydrochloric acid will produce a carboxylic acid and an ammonium salt.
• Students should be able to recall the different reactions each functional group undergoes and apply this knowledge when devising multi-step synthetic routes for preparing organic molecules.
• Devising a multi-step synthesis involves understanding the different reactions each functional group undergoes and applying this knowledge to create a sequence of reactions that lead to the desired product.
• Many organic molecules are made in multi-step synthetic routes.