The carbonyl group in aldoses and ketoses can be reduced by NaBH4 to a 1o and 2o alcohol, respectively. The product of this reaction is a polyalcohol called an alditol. The reduction of the ketones creates a new … Read more
In today’s post, we will discuss the conversion between Fischer, Haworth, and Chair forms of carbohydrates as well as the mechanism that leads to the formation of ɑ-D-glucose and β-D-glucose from the open form of glucose. We mentioned the formation … Read more
Carbohydrates, also known as sugars and starches, are one of the most important classes of compounds found in nature. Listing only a few examples would include the energy produced in our bodies by breaking down sugars, which are used in … Read more
In the previous post, we talked about drawing the two conformations of cyclohexane (ring-flip). Remember that conformations are different arrangements of atoms originating as a result of rotation(s) abound a single bond(s). This means that the ring flip is a reversible process … Read more
Decalin is the common name for fused bicyclic compounds that consist of two six-membered rings. As you may remember from the discussion about bicyclic compounds, fusing two six-membered rings does not give a 12-atom system because there are two common … Read more
In the previous two posts, we have talked about drawing the ring-flip of chair conformations and the A value (1,3-diaxial interactions). And we learned that for a given cyclohexane, the axial conformer is less stable than the corresponding equatorial conformer. … Read more
How to Draw the Ring-Flip of a Chair? In summary, this is what you need to do: Now, let’s go into more detail. The first thing you need to know before drawing the ring flip of a chair cyclohexane … Read more
Chair is the most stable, most important, and common conformation of cyclohexane, so knowing how to draw it (them – there are two chair conformations), is an essential skill you will need to know throughout your journey of organic chemistry. … Read more
The halogens Br2 and Cl2 add to the double bond of an alkene, producing vicinal dihalides – a compound bearing the halogens on adjacent carbons (vicinus, Latin: adjacent). These are also called 1,2-dihalides: The reaction with bromine is … Read more
In this post, we will talk about the E2 and E1 elimination reactions of substituted cyclohexanes. Let’s start with the E2 mechanism. When the following substituted cyclohexane is treated with sodium ethoxide, an E2 elimination is expected to occur, as … Read more
