Reaction Library
A detailed catalog of important organic chemistry reactions
Alkenes
- Oxymercuration of Alkenes using Hg(OAc)2, H2O, and NaBH4
- Oxymercuration of Alkenes using Hg(OAc)2, alcohol, and NaBH4
- Formation of Dichlorocyclopropanes using Dichlorocarbene on Alkenes
- 1,2-diol formation via dihydroxylation with osmium tetroxide (OsO4)
- 1,2-diol formation via dihydroxylation with potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
- Anti Dihydroxylation using RCO₃H and H₃O⁺
- Addition of Alcohols to Alkenes using Acids
- Alcohol formation via aqueous acids
- Dibromide Formation using Br2 and Alkenes
- Dichloride Formation using Cl2 and Alkenes
- Epoxidation with mCPBA (Prilezhaev)
- Hydroboration using BH3, H2O2, and NaOH
- Hydroboration using B₂H₆·diglyme, then H₂O₂/NaOH
- Sharpless Asymmetric Epoxidation
- Alkene Hydrogenation using H2 and Pd, Pt, or Ni
- Diiodide Formation using I2 and Alkenes
- Bromohydrin Formation using Br2 and H2O
- Bromothiol Formation using Br2 and H2S
- Bromohydrin Formation using Br2 and H2O, followed by Epoxide formation using NaOH
- Chlorohydrin Formation using Cl2 and H2O
- Diels-Alder Reaction
- Hydrohalogenation using Hydrohalic Acids
- Ozonolysis using O3 and DMS
- Ozonolysis using O3 and H2O2
- Oxidative cleavage with hot KMnO4, then H3O+ (heat)
- Anti-Markovnikov Bromination
- Allylic Bromination using NBS and Light
- Simmons Reaction - Cyclopropane Formation
Acid Chlorides
- Amide formation from Acid Chlorides using Amines (NH3, R2NH, and RNH2)
- Carboxylic Acid formation Using Water
- Reduction of Acid Chlorides using LiAlH4 to form Alcohols
- Aldehyde formation using Bulky Aluminum Reducing Agents
- Ketone formation using Gilmans Reagents
- Alcohol formation using Grignard Reagents
- Ester formation using Alcohols and Pyridine
Carboxys
- Carboxylic Acid → Acid Chloride with SOCl₂
- Carboxylic Acids → Primary Alcohols with LiAlH₄
- Carboxylic Acids + Alcohols → Esters (Fischer Esterification)
- Amide Formation from Carboxylic Acids using DCC (Carbodiimide Coupling)
- Carboxylic Acid → (Acetic / Mixed) Anhydride with NaOH then CH₃COCl
- Carboxylic Acid → α‑Halo Acid
Azides
Aldehydes and Ketones
- Aldehyde → Carboxylic Acid with Chromate (Cr(VI))
- Aldehyde → Carboxylic Acid with Silver (Ag₂O/H₂O)
- Cyanohydrin Formation (HCN, NaCN/HCl, TMSCN)
- Carbonyl → Ester/Lactone or Acid
- Aldehyde/Ketone → Alcohol with Grignard (RMgBr, then H₃O⁺)
- LiAlH4 then H3O+ (Aldehydes/Ketones -> Alcohols)
- NaBH4/MeOH (Aldehydes/Ketones -> Alcohols)
- Geminal Diol Formation from Aldehyde, Ketone using H2O
- Hydrazone Formation and Base/Heat Deoxygenation
- Oxime Formation + Beckmann Rearrangement (NH₂OH/H⁺ then H₂SO₄)
- Carbonyl + Amine Condensation → Imine or Enamine (RNH₂ vs R₂NH)
- Gilman (R₂CuLi) 1,4-Addition to α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyls
- Carbonyl → Acetals/Thioacetals (ROH, RSH, Diols, Dithiols)
- Ph₃P Ylide → Alkene (Wittig Olefination)
- Aldehyde/Ketone → Alcohol with H₂ over Pd, Pt, or Ni
- Keto–Enol Tautomerization with H₃O⁺
- Ketone α-Halogenation via Enols (Cl₂/Br₂/I₂, acid)
- Ketone α-Halogenation under Base (NaOH → X₂)
- Ketone α-Alkylation with Strong Base (Enolate SN2)
- Carboxylic Acid Formation from Methyl Ketones (X₂/NaOH; then H₃O⁺)
Alkyl Halides
- Carboxylic Acid formation using Alkyl Halides, Mg, and CO2
- Alkene formation using Bulky Bases (E2 Hofmann Product)
- Alkene formation using Strong Bases (E2 Zaitsev Product)
- Gabriel Synthesis (Potassium Phthalimide → Primary Amine)
- Ester Formation using Carboxylate Ions
- SN2 Substitution Reactions
- Generic SN2 (NaOCH3 / NaOEt / NaOH / NaSH / NaSR)
- Generic SN1 Solvolysis
- E1 Elimination via Hot Solvolysis
- Monosodium Acetylide Alkynylation
- Grignard Formation with Magnesium (RMgX)
- R₂CuLi with Alkyl Halides
- Dihalide → Alkyne using excess NaNH₂, then H₂O
Esters
Amides
Aromatics
- Sandmeyer Reaction (Cu-X)
- Nitrobenzene → Aniline (Fe/Zn, HCl; NaOH)
- Nitrobenzene → Aniline (Sn/HCl)
- Bartoli Indole Synthesis (o-Nitroarene + Vinyl Grignard)
- Nitrobenzene → Aniline (H₂/Pd, Pt, or Ni)
- Diazotization of Aniline (HNO₂/H₂SO₄)
- Grignard Reaction to form Benzoic Acid
- Friedel–Crafts Acylation (RCOCl/(RCO)₂O, AlX₃)
- Gatterman-Koch Formylation
- Kolbe–Schmitt Carboxylation of Phenols
- Halogenation (Br₂/AlBr₃, Cl₂/AlCl₃)
- Nitration with HNO₃/H₂SO₄
- Phenol formation from Diazonium Salts using H2O and Heat
- Sulfonation using SO3/H2SO4
Alcohols
- Alcohol Halogenation Using PBr3
- Alcohol Halogenation Using SOCl2 (± Pyridine)
- Alcohol Protection using TMSCl
- Alcohol Toslyation using TsCl
- Aldehyde and Ketone Formation from Alcohols using PCC or DMP
- Carboxylic Acid and Ketone Formation from Alcohols using Chromate
- Aldehyde/Ketone formation from Diols using Sodium Periodate (NaIO4)
- Unified E1/E2-like Mechanism
- Swern Oxidation using DMSO
- Alkyl Chloride Formation with HCl/ZnCl2 (Lucas)
- Alkyl Halide formation using hydrohalic acids (HX)
- Williamson Synthesis using NaH, RX, and ROH
- Appel Reaction using CX4 and PPh3
Alkynes
- Alkyne Halogenation using Br2/Cl2 and CCl4
- Catalytic Hydrogenation with H₂ (Pd/Pt)
- Hydroboration–Oxidation with R₂BH, H₂O₂/NaOH
- Alkyne Oxymercuration using HgSO4, H2O, H2SO4
- Hydration with Hg(OAc)₂ in AcOH/H₂O
- Partial Hydrogenation to cis-Alkenes with H₂ / Lindlar Catalyst
- Alkyne Reduction using Na and NH3
- Ozonolysis to Carboxylic Acids (O₃ / H₂O)
- Oxidation with KMnO4 (Mild vs Hot)
- SN2 Addition of Alkyl Halides to Alkynes
- Hydrohalogenation with HX (HCl, HBr, HI)
- Acetylide Formation & Alkylation (NaNH₂; R–X)