What’s in a medicine Flashcards
What is a carbonyl group?
A functional group with a C=O double bond that is polar with trigonal planar geometry (~120°).
What is the structure of a phenol?
C6H5OH, with additional groups optionally attached.
What is the general formula of aldehydes?
RCHO, where R represents an alkyl group.
What is the general formula of ketones?
-C(O)- or -CO-, with R and R’ as alkyl groups.
What is the general formula of acid anhydrides?
(RCO)2O.
What is the general formula of esters?
RCOOR’.
What is the general formula of carboxylic acids?
RCOOH, containing a carboxyl group (-COOH).
What is the general formula of ethers?
ROR’, where the oxygen is bonded to two alkyl groups.
What distinguishes primary alcohols?
The -OH group is bonded to a carbon atom attached to only one other carbon atom.
What distinguishes secondary alcohols?
The -OH group is bonded to a carbon atom attached to two other carbon atoms.
What distinguishes tertiary alcohols?
The -OH group is bonded to a carbon atom attached to three other carbon atoms.
How do phenols differ from alcohols?
Phenols are aromatic, and the -OH group is not connected to an alkane.
What is the reaction of phenol with sodium hydroxide?
Phenol + NaOH → Sodium phenoxide + Water.
Why don’t phenols react with carbonates?
Phenols are not strong enough acids to react with carbonates.
What happens when neutral FeCl3 is added to phenol?
It forms a purple solution due to the formation of an iron(III) complex.
How are esters formed using phenols?
Phenols react with acid anhydrides, not carboxylic acids, to form esters.
What is esterification?
A reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst to form an ester and water.
What is the role of acid anhydrides in ester formation?
They react with alcohols to form esters and carboxylic acids.
What happens when primary alcohols are oxidised?
They form aldehydes with distillation or carboxylic acids with reflux.
What happens when secondary alcohols are oxidised?
They form ketones, which cannot be oxidised further.
Why can’t tertiary alcohols be oxidised?
The carbon atom with the -OH group is not bonded to a hydrogen atom that can be removed.
What is the dehydration of alcohols?
An elimination reaction where alcohols lose H2O to form alkenes.
How are haloalkanes made from alcohols?
React alcohols with halide acids (e.g., HCl) to substitute the -OH group with a halogen.
What is heating under reflux used for?
To prevent the loss of volatile or flammable substances during a reaction.
What are the steps to purify an organic liquid product?
Use a separating funnel, neutralise impurities, dry with anhydrous salt, and distill.
How is water removed from a purified product?
Add an anhydrous salt like MgSO4 until the liquid stops being lumpy, then filter.
What is the process of recrystallisation?
Dissolve a solid in hot solvent, cool to form crystals, filter, and dry the product.
What is thin-layer chromatography (TLC) used for?
To separate and identify small quantities of organic compounds.
What is vacuum filtration used for?
To separate a solid from a filtrate using a vacuum pump and Buchner funnel.
How is melting point used to assess purity?
Pure substances have a sharp melting range, while impurities increase the range.
What is the synthesis of aspirin?
Hydrolyse methyl-2-hydroxybenzoate, esterify salicylic acid with ethanoic anhydride, and recrystallise the product.
What is green chemistry?
A sustainable approach to reduce waste, use safer chemicals, lower energy usage, and prevent environmental damage.
What does mass spectroscopy measure?
The molecular ion peak (M⁺) shows the molecular mass, and fragmentation patterns identify molecular components.
What does IR spectroscopy measure?
The absorption of IR radiation by covalent bonds, indicating specific functional groups.
What are the main IR regions?
4000–2500 cm⁻¹ (hydrogen bonds), 2500–2000 cm⁻¹ (triple bonds), 2000–1500 cm⁻¹ (double bonds).
What is the fingerprint region in IR spectroscopy?
The region below 1500 cm⁻¹ used to identify unique compounds.
