Related Concept Videos

Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane01:33

Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane

Carboxylic acids react with diazomethane in an ether solvent via alkylation at the carboxylate oxygen atom to give methyl esters of the corresponding acid with excellent yields.
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Elimination–Addition01:11

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Elimination–Addition

Simple aryl halides do not react with nucleophiles. However, nucleophilic aromatic substitutions can be forced under certain conditions, such as high temperatures or strong bases. The mechanism of substitution under such conditions involves the highly unstable and reactive benzyne intermediate. Benzyne contains equivalent carbon centers at both ends of the triple bond, each of which is equally susceptible to nucleophilic attack. This 50–50 distribution of products is confirmed through isotopic...
Directing and Steric Effects in Disubstituted Benzene Derivatives01:18

Directing and Steric Effects in Disubstituted Benzene Derivatives

When disubstituted benzenes undergo electrophilic substitution, the product distribution depends on the directing effect of both substituents. When the directing effects of both substituents reinforce each other, a single product is obtained. For example, bromination of p-nitrotoluene occurs ortho to the methyl group and meta to the nitro group, which is the same position, resulting in a single product. However, if the directing effects of the two groups oppose each other, the more strongly...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene01:15

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene

Chlorination and bromination are important classes of electrophilic aromatic substitutions, where benzene reacts with chlorine or bromine in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst to give halogenated substitution products. A Lewis acid such as aluminium chloride or ferric chloride catalyzes the chlorination, and ferric bromide catalyzes the bromination reactions. During the bromination of alkenes, bromine polarizes and becomes electrophilic. However, in the bromination of benzene, the bromine...
Benzene to 1,4-Cyclohexadiene: Birch Reduction Mechanism01:18

Benzene to 1,4-Cyclohexadiene: Birch Reduction Mechanism

Birch reduction uses solvated electrons as reducing agents. The reaction converts benzene to 1,4-cyclohexadiene. The reaction proceeds by the transfer of a single electron to the ring to form a benzene radical anion. This anion is highly basic—it abstracts a proton from the alcohol to form a cyclohexadienyl radical. Another single electron transfer gives the cyclohexadienyl anion. A proton transfer from the alcohol forms 1,4-cyclohexadiene. Since this reduction occurs via radical anion...
Diazonium Group Substitution: –OH and –H01:19

Diazonium Group Substitution: –OH and –H

Nitrous acid, a weak acid, is prepared in situ via the reaction of sodium nitrite with a strong acid under cold conditions. This nitrous acid prepared in situ reacts with primary arylamines to form arenediazonium salts. Such reactions are known as diazotization reactions. As shown in Figure 1, the formation of arenediazonium salts begins with the decomposition of nitrous acid in an acidic solution to give nitrosonium ions.