Summary

Reaction of Alkanes
Reaction
Combustion
Halogenation

Conditions

Observation
Clean blue flame

Type of Reaction

Hot catalyst

Products
CO2 and H2O
Haloalkane and
hydrogen halide
Alkane and alkene

Cracking

Reaction
Halogenation (adding
Br2)
Reaction with hydrogen
halides
Oxidation
Oxidation

Conditions
Room temperature

Products
Haloalkane

Observation
Red-brown bromine is
decolourised

Type of Reaction
Electrophilic addition

Room temperature

Haloalkane

Hydration
Hydrogenation

Conc. HCl at 1700C

Finely divided Ni
catalyst

UV light

Reaction of Alkenes

Cold KMnO4/H+
Hot KMnO4/H+

Electrophilic addition

diol
1. Ketone
2. CO2 and H2O
3. Aldehyde which is
further oxidized to a
carboxylic acid
Alcohol
Alkane

Purple to colourless
Purple to colourless

Products
alcohol
Amine and HX

Observation

Electrophilic addition
Electrophilic addition

Electrophilic addition
Electrophilic addition

Reaction of haloalkanes
Reaction
Alcohol formation
Amine formation

Conditions
base
Heat in a sealed tube

Type of Reaction
Nucleophilic substitution
Nucleophilic substitution

Nitrile formation

Aqueous alcohol

Nitrile and NaX

Nucleophilic substitution

Reaction of Alcohols
Reaction
with sodium
with hydrogen
with conc. H2SO4
with organic acid
with oxidizing agent

Conditions

Products
Salt and hydrogen gas
Conc. HCl to form RCl Alkyl halide and H2O
Excess acid at 1700C
Alkene and H2O
Conc. H2SO4
Ester and H2O
Warm, acidified
1. Primary alcohols are
oxidized to
aldehydes and
further to carboxylic
acid
2. Secondary alcohols
are oxidized to
ketones

Observation

Type of Reaction

Sweet smell
Oxidizing agent is
decolourised

How to distinguish primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols

Reagent
Lucas Reagent (ZnCl2 in conc.
HCl)
Acidified potassium
dichromate

1o alcohols
No visible reaction
Changes from orange to green
(product forms silver mirror
with Tollens reagent or brickred ppt with Fehlings reagent)

Reaction of Carbonyl Compounds (Nucleophilic Addition)

2o alcohols
Solution turns cloudy in 3-5
minutes
Changes from orange to green
(product has NO reaction with
either Tollens or Fehlings
reagent)

3o alcohols
Solution turns cloudy
immediately
Remains orange

Reagent
2,4-DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine)
also called Bradys reagent
Tollens reagent
Fehlings reagent

Aldehyde
Yellow or light orange ppt

Ketone
Yellow or light orange ppt

Silver mirror on inside of test-tube

Brick-red ppt

No visible change
No ppt formed

Reagent
KMnO4/H+
Tollens reagent / Fehlings reagent

Aldehyde
These are oxidised to carboxylic acids
Aldehydes are oxidised and a silver mirror
is seen with Tollens reagent or a brick-red
ppt seen with Fehlings reagent
These are reduced to the primary alcohol

Ketone
Ketones are resistant to oxidation
No reaction occurs

LiAlH4 (ether)

These are reduced to the secondary

alcohol
These are reduced to the primary alcohol
These are reduced to the secondary
alcohol
A cyanohydrin or hydroxynitrile is formed A cyanohydrin or hydroxynitrile is formed

H2/Pt

hydrogen cyanide (NaCN/HCl)

Haloform / Iodoform Reaction
This reaction is used to test for the presence of a methyl ketone methyl alcohol
Reagents: I2 and NaOH
Observations for positive reaction: fine yellow crystals (iodoform) with a characteristic hospital smell
Reaction of Carboxylic Acids
Reaction
with metal or base
Ester formation
Acid chloride formation

Conditions
Conc. H2SO4at 1700C
PCl5 or SOCl2

Products
Salt and (water or H2)
Ester and water
Acid chloride and HCl

Conditions

Products

Observation

Type of Reaction

Sweet smell

Reaction of Esters
Reaction

Observation

Type of Reaction

Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis
(Saponification)
Transesterification

Strong acid
Strong base
Acid catalyst, excess
ROH

Carboxylic acid and alcohol

Alcohol and salt of the
carboxylic acid is formed
Ester and alcohol (Alkyl
groups exchanged)

Reaction of primary amine

Reaction
with dilute acid

Conditions

Products
salt

Observation

Type of Reaction

Reaction of benzene
Reaction
Halogenation
Nitration

Conditions
AlX3 or FeX3, room temp
Conc. H2SO4, 500C

Products
C6H5X and HX
nitrobenzene

Observation
Yellow oily nitrobenzene

Type of Reaction
Electrophilic substitution
Electrophilic substitution

Products
phenylammonium

Observation

Type of Reaction

Observation
White ppt, antiseptic
smell

Type of Reaction

Reaction of Nitrobenzene
Reaction
Reduction

Conditions
Sn/conc. HCl/ heat

Reaction of Phenols
Reaction
with bromine water

Conditions

Products
2,4,6-tribromophenol

with ethanoyl
chloride
with sodium
hydroxide

Room temp

Phenyl ethanoate and HCl

Salt (sodium phenoxide)
and water

Formation of Azo Compounds

Reaction
Sodium phenoxide
and
benzenediazonium
chloride

Conditions
100C

Products

Observation
Yellow orange solution
or ppt

Type of Reaction