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MCAT ORGANIC CHEM: ANALYZING ORGANIC REACTIONS

Terms in this set (19)

lewis acid
accept electrons (electrophile)
lewis base
donates electrons (nucleophile)
Brønsted-Lowry acid
accepts protons
Brønsted-Lowry base
donates protons
amphoteric
a substance that can act as both an acid and a base
Ka
acid dissociation constant: tells the strength of the acid: stronger acids have larger Ka values
pKa
another measure of acidic strength: stronger acids have smaller pKa
acidic alpha protons
hydrogens bound to to the carbon adjacent to the carbonyl: considered stable because deprotonated structure is stabilized by resonance
nucleophiles
nucleus loving because they need a positive charge to balance out the electrons it has: usually contains lone pairs or pi electrons: characterize based on charge, electronegativity, steric hinderance, and solvent
high electronegativity
means less nucleophilic because wants to hold on to electrons and not share with electrophile
protic solvents
solvents that are able to hydrogen bond: nucleophilicity increases going down the PT
aprotic solvents
solvents that are unable to hydrogen bond: nucleophilicity increases going up the PT
electrophiles
electron loving because they usually have a positive charge: acids usually act as electrophiles
leaving groups
best leaving groups are those that are stable when they have extra electrons: the weaker the base, the better the leaving group
SN1 reaction
unimolecular: step one is rate determining (first order kinetics); formation of a carbocation and results in racemic mix
SN2 reaction
bimolecular: second order kinetics, 2 steps simultaneously; inversion of stereochemistry; low steric hinderance needed
PCC
oxidizing agent that converts primary alcohols into aldehydes and secondary alcohols into ketones
Jones reagent
oxidizing agent that converts primary alcohols into carboxylic acids and secondary alcohols into ketones
LiAlH4, NaBH4, NaH, CaH2
reducing agents
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