What's In A Medicine

Question 1

Describe the effect of the -OH group on a molecule. (badly worded, sorry)

Answer 1

Alcohol molecules are polar. As a hydrocarbon chain gets longer, the -OH group has less effect.

Question 2

Describe primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.

Answer 2

Primary: bonded to a carbon that is bonded to one other carbon.
Secondary: bonded to a carbon that is bonded to two other carbons.
Tertiary: bonded to a carbon that is bonded to three other carbons.

Question 3

What is produced when an alcohol is dehydrated?

Answer 3

An alkene and water.

Question 4

Describe the oxidation of alcohols with acidified potassium dichromate.

Answer 4

Primary: produces a green aldehyde.
Primary + excess oxidising agent: produces a green carboxylic acid.
Secondary: produces a green ketone.
Tertiary: remains orange.

Question 5

Describe how esters are produced.

Answer 5

Alcohol + carboxylic acid, strong acid catalyst, under reflux.
Acid anhydride + alcohol.
Phenol + acid anhydride.

Question 6

Describe trends in carboxylic acids, phenols and alcohols.

Answer 6

Strength of acids: ethanol, water, phenol, carboxylic acid.

Carboxylic acids make carbonates fizz, phenols and alcohols do not.

Question 7

Describe the iron (III) chloride test.

Answer 7

The enol group of a phenol forms a purple complez with Fe3+.

Question 8

What is the process of mass spectrometry?

Answer 8

Ionisation, acceleration, deflection, detection.

Question 9

What are the principles of green chemistry? (12)

Answer 9

Safer chemical products
Use safer solvents
Prevention of waste products
Energy usage
Reduce reagents
Catalysts
Atom economy
Real time process monitoring
Safer chemical processes

Less hazardous chemical synthesis
Design for degradation
Renewable feedstocks.