PR- Polymer Revolution Flashcards
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using Br2?
Room temperature and pressure
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using Br2 (aq)
Room temperature and pressure
What is the difference between the products of electrophilic addition using Br2 and Br2 (aq)?
Br2 simply adds two bromines across the double bond. Br2(aq) is in a solution with water molecules so the carbocation can be attacked by water
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using HBr (aq)
Aq solution, room temperature and pressure
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using water (H2O)?
Phosphoric acid/ silica; 300 degrees C and 60 atm
OR
Conc. sulfuric acid, then water at 1 atm
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using hydrogen/H2?
Platinum catalyst, room temperature + pressure
OR
Nickel catalyst at 150 degrees C and 5 atm
What are the conditions required for electrophilic addition using platinum as a catalyst?
Room temperature and pressure
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using nickel as a catalyst?
150 degrees Celsius, 5 atm
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using phosphoric acid as a catalyst?
300 degrees Celsius; 60 atm
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using silica as a catalyst?
300 degrees Celsius; 60 atm
What conditions are required for electrophilic addition of alkenes using concentrated sulphuric acid as a catalyst?
That catalyst followed by water at 1 atm
What is electrophilic addition?
The addition of an electrophile across a double bond
What is an electrophile?
A partially positively charged particle that is attracted to an electron rich region (C=C bond)
How does an electrophile react?
Accepts a lone pair of electrons to form a covalent bond
What is a carbocation?
A hydrocarbon with a positive charge
What does hydration of alkenes form?
Alcohols
How is ethanol formed by ‘steam hydration’?
Phosphoric acid/ silica; 300 degrees C and 60 atm
Water
What is the test of unsaturation?
Bromine water
Brown —> colourless
What reaction does gaseous HBr involve in electrophilic addition?
Radical addition
Why does the bromine water turn colourless?
A dibromoalkane is formed
What reagents are needed to make alcohols from alkenes?
Conc. sulfuric acid, then water at 1 atm
How are hydrogenated fats produced?
Hydrogen; platinum catalyst, room temperature + pressure
What is the desired quality of hydrogenated fats?
Hardening; to be solid at room temperature
What is a polymer?
A long molecule made up from lots of small molecules called monomers
What are copolymers?
When two different types of monomers are joined in the same polymer chain.
What is the process that turns alkenes into polymers?
Addition polymerisation
What is an elastomer?
Soft and springy polymers that can be deformed and go back to their original shape.
Give an example of a plastic
poly (ethene)
Is poly (propene) a plastic or fibre?
BOTH
Why can Nylon be used as a fibre?
Does not deform easily; Can be made into strong, weavable threads.
How is FLEXIBILITY of a polymer obtained?
The chains need to be able to slide past each other
The stronger the intermolecular forces, the less flexible the polymer.
How does BRANCHING affect a polymer?
Straight chains can pack more closely together
How does STEREOREGULARITY affect a polymer?
Regular side group orientation means the chains can pack tightly together
How does CHAIN FLEXIBILTY affect a polymer?
Hydrocarbon chains are VERY flexible and can take up many orientations
How does CROSS LINKING affect a polymer?
Covalent bonds can make the polymer harder and more difficult to melt.
What two groups describe the way polymers behave when HEATED?
Thermoplastics and Thermosets
What is the difference in the structure of thermoplastics and thermosets?
Cross-linking
What is bakelite?
Phenol and methanal
What happens when bakelite is heated?
It chars and decomposes
Is bakelite soluble in water?
Nope
What is the appearance of bakelite?
It’s brown and used in electrical insulators
What is the effect of chain length on the solubility of alcohols?
As chain length increases, solubility decreases
After butane everything is insoluble
Why are all alkanes after butane insoluble?
Hydrogen bonding can’t overcome the strength of the ID-ID all across the molecule
What are polyhydric alcohols?
Alcohols with more than one OH group
What is an alkoxy group?
-OR
How can aldehydes/ketones be reduced back into alcohols?
Sodium tetrahybridoborate
NaBH4
How do you increase the chain length of aldehydes/ketones/polymers?
Cyanide via nucleophilic addition
How can you distinguish between aldehydes and ketones?
Fehling’s solution
Aldehydes are oxidised to carboxylic acids
The solution goes from blue to orange brown
Name a polymer that was discovered by accident
Bakelite