Related Concept Videos

Preparation of Epoxides03:00

Preparation of Epoxides

Overview
Epoxides result from alkene oxidation, which can be achieved by a) air, b) peroxy acids, c) hypochlorous acids, and d) halohydrin cyclization.
Epoxidation with Peroxy Acids
Epoxidation of alkenes via oxidation with peroxy acids involves the conversion of a carbon–carbon double bond to an epoxide using the oxidizing agent meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, commonly known as MCPBA. Since the O–O bond of peroxy acids is very weak, the addition of electrophilic oxygen of peroxy acids to...
Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview01:26

Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview

Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:17

Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry01:26

Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry

The absorption of UV–visible light by conjugated systems causes the promotion of an electron from the ground state to the excited state. Consequently, photochemical electrocyclic reactions proceed via the excited-state HOMO rather than the ground-state HOMO. Since the ground- and excited-state HOMOs have different symmetries, the stereochemical outcome of electrocyclic reactions depends on the mode of activation; i.e., thermal or photochemical.
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)01:16

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization or ROMP involves strained cycloalkenes as starting materials. The mechanism of ROMP proceeds by reacting cycloalkene with Grubbs catalyst to give metallacyclobutane intermediate which undergoes a ring-opening reaction to form new carbene. The new carbene reacts with another molecule of cycloalkene. Repetition of these steps leads to the formation of an unsaturated open-chain polymer product. All these steps are reversible, however, relieving the ring...
Pericyclic Reactions: Introduction01:17

Pericyclic Reactions: Introduction

Pericyclic reactions are organic reactions that occur via a concerted mechanism without generating any intermediates. The reactions proceed through the movement of electrons in a closed loop to form a cyclic transition state, where rearrangement of the σ and π bonds yields specific products.
Pericyclic reactions can be classified into three categories: electrocyclic reactions, cycloaddition reactions, and sigmatropic rearrangements. Electrocyclic reactions and sigmatropic rearrangements are...