Any suggestions on where to get started in OC gratefully received.
In particular, is there a shortlist of reagents & kit required ?
To be clear : i'm not asking what stuff i need to build an elephant from scratch, just a list of stuff i will need to conduct the first reactions that
you did when you got started, and what those reactions were.
Something achievable would be good !
Many thanks. DraconicAcid - 9-4-2014 at 14:24
That would depend on what you're trying to do in organic chemistry.
Most of the organic chemistry I have done was in classes, not at home, but you could probably do some esterification reactions. Start with aspirin,
hydrolyze to salicylic acid, then make methyl salicylate from that. Mmmmmm...wintergreeny.
[Edited on 9-4-2014 by DraconicAcid]aga - 9-4-2014 at 14:38
I will be trying to Understand something of organic chemistry.
There is no particular 'product' that i wish to produce. Random - 9-4-2014 at 14:41
You will need to understand aliphatic series, aromatics and functional groups, after that reactions between functional groups and name reactions in
organic chemistry for the beginning.Chemosynthesis - 9-4-2014 at 14:47
Some books referenced here to get you started. Lab books for labs, lecture for more theory.aga - 9-4-2014 at 15:02
As i recall, that thread was full of flames, due to a grounded suspicion that the originator was a recipe kiddie looking for help to make stuff.
I will follow the links, so thanks for pointing out that the links are there.
It would be well if my intent were to be known : i wish to know something of organic chemistry, and am a beginner, rather than a chancer looking for
the Gold from Lead recipe.aga - 9-4-2014 at 15:04
You will need to understand aliphatic series, aromatics and functional groups, after that reactions between functional groups and name reactions in
organic chemistry for the beginning.
aliphatics
aromatics
functional groups
Thanks. Googling commenced ...
[Edited on 9-4-2014 by aga]blogfast25 - 10-4-2014 at 05:31
Definitely esterifications, they're practically a 'rite of passage' for the beginning OC. Small esters are easy to make and different types have
different 'fruity' aromas: apple, pear, pineapple, banana, 'cognac' etc etc. Only problem is that getting hold of the starting materials (the various
acids and alcohols) isn't always that easy.
But glacial acetic acid and ethanol are easy enough to get (for ethyl acetate). Esterifications also offer good opportunities for
work-up/distillation, so typical of OC...
[Edited on 10-4-2014 by blogfast25]aga - 10-4-2014 at 09:15
Esterificiations it is then.
Funny, but this bottle of vodka is going down quite fast ...blogfast25 - 10-4-2014 at 09:19
Funny, but this bottle of vodka is going down quite fast ...
You need pure ethanol (95 % or better) for esterifications. Of course you could distil your vodka.
Also pure acids (vinegar will do diddly squat) are needed. And 95 % or better H2SO4 as catalyst for Fisher esterifications.DraconicAcid - 10-4-2014 at 09:25
Making ethyl acetate is rather dull (it doesn't smell particularly interesting). If you're making an ester for the sake of an ester, it's probably
easier to get reasonably pure isopropyl alcohol than ethanol.blogfast25 - 10-4-2014 at 09:30
Making ethyl acetate is rather dull (it doesn't smell particularly interesting). If you're making an ester for the sake of an ester, it's probably
easier to get reasonably pure isopropyl alcohol than ethanol.
It smells of Velpon, the one time popular clear all purpose glue. Broken cars were glued back together with that, in desperation, back in those days!
ElizabethGreene - 10-4-2014 at 10:47
I enjoy the plant part of oChem more than the "add this nondescript powder to that foul smelling liquid" part. My vote would be to take some time
brew and distill ethanol and acetic acid as first projects. Try extracting Salicylic acid and Limonene from their plant origins. Those are really
fun for me and make up for the requisite memorization of large chunks of minutiae.
If you want your wife really mad, try Syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It's the lachrymatory decomposition product from cutting onions. (Do not do this in
the garage.).vmelkon - 10-4-2014 at 12:20
You can find a few nice things on Youtube.
How to make benzene (decarboxylation) from sodium benzoate.
How to nitrate benzene (conc H2SO4 and con HNO3).
How to reduce p-nitrobenzene to p-aminobenzene (I think it was with conc HCl and iron powder).
How to oxidize toluene to benzoic acid.
Esterification reaction benzoic acid + methanol.
Esterification reaction benzoic acid + ethanol.
There are some things that are multistep and look complicated. Look at how to make luminol by Nurdrage on Youtube.DraconicAcid - 10-4-2014 at 12:25
How to reduce p-nitrobenzene to p-aminobenzene (I think it was with conc HCl and iron powder).
No such thing. There's nitrobenzene and aniline, or p-nitrobenzoic acid and p-aminobenzoic acid, but no p-nitrobenzene. The "p" indicates that the
two substituents on the ring are para to each other (i.e., in the 1 and 4 positions), but nitrobenzene only has one substituent on the ring.aga - 10-4-2014 at 14:20
Wow !
Now i really have some reading to do !
Mostest thanks peeps.
Oh. I only drink beer.
The vodka is still going down, just not my gullet aga - 10-4-2014 at 14:30
