Carbonyls - Organic Chem II Flashcards
What are carbonyl compounds function group?
C=O
What is the difference between aldehydes and ketones structurally?
Aldehydes have the C=O group at the end of the carbon chain
Ketones have the C=O group in the middle of the carbon chain
What is the general formula of carbonyl compounds?
CnH2nO
How many sigma and pi bonds does the C=O in a carbonyl compound consist of?
One each
- The electron density is not distributed evenly between the 2 atoms. There is greater electron density over the more electronegative oxygen atom
Why do carbonyl compounds have lower bpt than alcohols/carboxylic acids of similar Mr?
Because they cannot form hydrogen bonds. Carbonyl compounds are polar molecules because they have the polar C=O, however, they don’t have a H atom attached to an oxygen atom and so they cannot form intermolecular hydrogen bonds
Why do carbonyl compounds have higher bpt than alkanes of similar Mr?
Because more energy is needed to overcome the dipole-dipole forces and London forces between molecules of carbonyl compounds than is needed to overcome the London forces between alkane molecules
Why are smaller carbonyl compounds soluble in water?
Because, although they cannot form hydrogen bonds with each other they can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules
What do carbonyl compounds smell like?
Both homologous series contain many compounds with strong odours. The aldehydes in particular are responsible for imparting the characteristic smells and flavours to a variety of foods
What is usually the oxidation agent?
Potassium dichromate (VI) acidified with dilute sulfuric acid
Orange -> green
What is a primary alcohol oxidised to form?
An aldehyde. If an excess of the oxidising agent is used, then the aldehyde is oxidised to a carboxylic acid
What can the oxidation of primary alcohols be controlled by?
If an alcohol is oxidised using distillation apparatus, then any aldehyde formed will distil off immediately from the reaction mixture
If an alcohol is oxidised by heating under reflux, then the aldehyde cannot escape and will be oxidised to form a carboxylic acid
What is a secondary alcohol oxidised to form?
Ketone
What is the test for carbonyl compounds?
React with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH/Brady’s reagent) to produce a yellow/orange precipitate
What reaction is this? (test for carbonyls)
Condensation
What happens to the precipitate next? (carbonyls test)
Can be filtered and the solid can be purified using recrystallisation. The purified solid should have a sharp melting point, and the identity of the aldehyde or ketone used to make the yellow or orange precipitate can be determined by comparing melting point with data base values.