In this section, we describe a series of practices related to the reactivity of functional groups that are usually studied in an experimental course of Organic Chemistry (Organic Synthesis).
Most of the experiments described correspond to one-step transformations. In addition, others deal with the multistep synthesis of a compound and the study of the concept of protective group within a synthetic route.
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For this reason, in some cases a difunctional compound is also used. In this way, it will be used to develop the concept of chemoselectivity against different reagents but of the same family.
Experiment selection
The experiments have been chosen in order to have as wide a range of substrates as possible. Aliphatic or aromatic substrates have been selected, as well as different types of reagents. Also, various types of reactions have been taken into account: for example, substitution, elimination, addition, oxidation-reduction, etc. and reaction conditions (reflux, room temperature, cold, etc.). For this reason, the use of different methods of isolation and purification of organic compounds is also encouraged.
Likewise, the choice of the practicals has the ultimate goal of including the main basic laboratory operations in experiments of low or medium complexity, either as a whole or by choosing a few of them.
Accordingly, a selection of Organic Synthesis practices is listed below:
- Polystyrene production by radical polymerization
- Preparation of a synthetic detergent
- Obtaining biodiesel from vegetable oil
- Synthesis of aspirin
- Preparation of β-naphthyl methyl ether
- Oxidation of 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol to 4-chlorobenzoic acid
- Claisen-Schmidt reaction: α,β-unsaturated ketones
- Cannizzaro reaction
- Oxidation of cyclohexene to yield adipic acid
- Methyl benzoate nitration
- Synthesis of cinnamic acid
- Chemoselective reductions of 4-nitroacetophenone
- p-Nitroaniline synthesis
- Methyl benzoate nitration
- Synthesis of methyl orange
- Paracetamol synthesis
- Oxidation of acetophenone with sodium hypochlorite (haloform reaction)
- Synthesis of benzoic acid from Grignard reagent (phenylmagnesium bromide)
- Obtaining t-butyl chloride: use in the synthesis of 1,4-di-t-butylbenzene.
- Obtaining phenolphthalein
- Synthesis of acetanilide
- Isomerization of maleic acid (cis) to fumaric acid (trans)
- Dehydration of cyclohexanol to give cyclohexene
- Synthesis of Martius yellow dye
- Creatine synthesis (sports dietary supplement)
- Preparation of N-(p-chlorophenyl)-maleimide
- Chiral resolution of (±)-α-methylbenzylamine
- Oxidative coupling of alkynes (Glaser-Eglinton-Hay)
- Acetylferrocene synthesis
- Reduction of cinnamaldehyde with LiAlH4
- Preparation of calix[4]pyrrole
- Conversion of citral to α- and β-ionone.
- Synthesis of 2-bromohexane
- Partial hydrogenation of a vegetable oil with cyclohexene and Pd(C) (margarine production)
- Ethyl iodide from ethanol
- Preparation of 4-methyl-3- and 4-methyl-2-nitroacetanilide from 4-methylaniline
- Synthesis of 2-iodobenzoic acid (Sandmeyer reaction)
- Preparation of 9-bromoanthracene
- Oxidation of alkylbenzenes with KMnO4
- Synthesis of anthrone from anthraquinone
- Oil of wintergreen from aspirin tablets
- Vanillin transformations
- Synthesis of 2,5-dimethyl-1-phenylpyrrole by Paal-Knorr reaction
- Reaction of cyclohexene with oxone
- Dibenzylamine hydrochloride preparation
- Preparation of benzyl butyl ether
- 4-tert-Butylcyclohexanone oxidation
- Synthesis of chiral ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate
- Preparation of p-cymene from limonene
- Synthesis of racemic 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol
- 4-Nitrobenzaldehyde and dimedone reaction
- Synthesis of 7-hydroxy-3-carboxicoumarin
- Synthesis of laurolactam from cyclododecanone
- Preparation of soap from vegetable oil
- Synthesis of nylon 6,6
- Preparation of 7,7-dichlorobicyclo[4.1.0]heptane
- Bromination of α-methylstyrene
- Pinacol and pinacolone synthesis
- Compounds for the fragrance industry (ester synthesis)
- Production of adipic acid with H2O2/Na2WO4
- Bromine addition to cyclohexene
- Graphite-catalyzed reaction of xylene with 2-bromopropane
- Obtaining ortho-nitrophenol
- Reaction of benzaldehyde with oxone
- Preparation of 5,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxane
- Reaction of cyclohexanone with NaBH4
- Suzuki reaction of C-C bond formation
- Wittig reaction in the absence of solvent
- Reaction of 9-anthracenemethanol with N-methylmaleimide
- Phthalates from recycled polymers (PET)
- Production of cross-linked biodegradable polymers
- Starch-based polymers
- Synthesis of tetrahydro-pyrimidinone
- Passerini reaction
- Preparation of meso-diethyl-2,2′-dipyrromethane
- Preparation of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium derivative
- Preparation of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one
- [2+2] cycloaddition of cinnamic acid