Reagents

Question 1

What would be the reagent used in a condensation reaction?

Answer 1

A concentrated sulphuric acid catalyst would be used (H2SO4)

Question 2

What is the reagent that we would use for a hydrolysis reaction?

Answer 2

A hydrolysis reaction uses an acid or a base catalyst e.g sodium hydroxide or conc sulphuric acid

Question 3

What are the reagents that you can use in the dehydration of an alcohol?

Answer 3

We are able to use concentrated sulphuric acid, concentrated phosphoric acid. Or if we are dealing with an alcohol that is volatile we should use aluminium oxide.

Question 4

What reagent would you use for the elimination of an alkyl-halide/haloalkane?

Answer 4

You would use a strong base being dissolved in an ethanol solution. A good example of this would be using sodium hydroxide that was dissolved in ethanol.

Question 5

What reagent would be used in the hydration of an Alkene?

Answer 5

You can use an acid, examples of commonly used acids for this would be concentrated sulphuric acid and concentrated phosphoric acid.

Question 6

What reagent would you use in the hydrogenation of an alkene?

Answer 6

For this type of reaction we must use a Nickel, platinum, or Palladium. At temperatures upwards of 150 degrees Celsius

Question 7

What reagents would you use in the substitution of a haloalkane?

Answer 7

You would use (OH-) ions that were present in aqueous solution, a commonly used example would be to dissolve sodium hydroxide in water.

Question 8

What reagent would you use in the reduction of an aldehyde or a ketone?

Answer 8

You would use Lithium Aluminium Hydride (LiAlH4)

Question 9

What reagent would you react with an alcohol to produce an alkoxide?

Answer 9

You use a reactive metal catalyst such as sodium in this reaction, alkoxides are then used in the nucleophilic substitution reactions to produce ethers.

Question 10

What reagents would you use in the oxidation of a primary alcohol?

Answer 10

You could use Copper (II) Oxide. This would cause a colour change from black to red

Or you could use an acidified Potassium Dichromate reagent which would cause a colour change of orange to green.

Question 11

What reagent would you use to oxidise a secondary alcohol?

Answer 11

Tollens solution or sodium dichromate.

Question 12

What reagents would you use in the hydrolisis of a nitrile?

Answer 12

You would use acidified solution that was heated for example, heated sulphuric acid in water

Question 13

What reagents would you use in the hydrolysis of an ester to produce a carboxylic acid?

Answer 13

You would use either an aqueous acidic solution or an solution of a base as a reagent

The use of sodium hydroxide in water would be preferable because this would cause a sodium salt of the carboxylic acid to form which would prevent an equilibrium of the reaction from forming

Question 14

What reagents can we use in an esterification reaction?

Answer 14

We can use either concentrated sulphuric acid or phosphorus pentachloride (PCl5) however the latter reacts violently and produces an acidic fume

Question 15

What reagents should be used in a Nitration reaction?

Answer 15

A nitration reaction should use a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid and should be heated at temperatures greater than 50 degrees Celsius

Question 16

What reagent should you use in a halogenation reaction of a aromatic hydrocarbon?

Answer 16

If you are using chlorine then use aluminium chloride or Iron (III) chloride

If instead you are using bromine then use aluminium bromide or Iron (III) bromide

Question 17

What do you do for a sulphonation?

Answer 17

We reflux the benzene ring with concentrated sulphuric acid for several hours which results in the production of a benzenesulphonic acid

Question 18

What would a suitable reagents look like for the alkynation of a benzene ring?

Answer 18

We use a corresponding chloroalkane with an aluminium chloride catalyst. Which allows us to add an alkyl group to a benzene ring?