Reagents for Organic Synthesis

Y’know what, it’d be really useful to collect and archive all of the reagents I’ve learnt in organic synthesis.

Concatenation

Nitrile

KCN (potassium cyanide) with some HCN concatenates a

Water

Hydrolysis

H₂O, acidified, breaks up molecules.

Oxidation

K₂Cr₂O₇ (potassium dichromate) oxidises alcohols to ketones, or if they’re primary, to aldehydes. Heat under reflux to further oxidise into carboxylic acids.

Reduction

Reduction

NaBrH₄ (sodium borohydride) is a mild reducing agent.

LiAlH₄ (lithium aluminium hydride) is a much more potent reducing agent that reduces ketones and carboxylic acids right down to alcohols.

Elimination

KOH in hot C₂H₅OH eliminates HX from halogenated compounds to form an alkene.

Halogenation

Chlorination

PCl₅ is really potent, and can chlorinate at room temperature.