IB Chemistry SL Organic Chemistry Exam Practice

Functional Groups and Compounds

• Propanal contains an aldehyde functional group.

Ester Formation

• The by-product of the reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid to form an ester is water.
• The reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid to form an ester involves the nucleophilic attack of the alcohol on the carboxylic acid, resulting in the formation of an ester and water.

IUPAC Nomenclature

• The IUPAC name for the compound CH3CH2CH2COOH is butanoic acid.

Acyl Chlorides

• Acyl chlorides react with alcohols to form esters.

Mechanism of Ester Formation

• The mechanism of the reaction between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid to form an ester involves the protonation of the carboxylic acid, followed by the nucleophilic attack of the alcohol, resulting in the formation of an ester and water.

Hydrolysis of Esters

• Factors that affect the rate of hydrolysis of an ester include the pH of the reaction, the concentration of the ester, and the temperature.
• The rate of hydrolysis of an ester increases with increasing pH, concentration, and temperature.

Chirality in Organic Compounds

• Chirality in organic compounds refers to the existence of non-superimposable mirror images of a molecule.
• Chirality is significant in organic chemistry because it affects the physical and biological properties of a molecule, such as its boiling point, melting point, and ability to rotate plane-polarized light.
• Chirality also affects the reactivity of a molecule, as different enantiomers can react differently with other molecules.

Nucleophilic Addition and Substitution Reactions

• Nucleophilic addition reactions involve the addition of a nucleophile to a multiple bond, resulting in the formation of a new bond.
• Nucleophilic substitution reactions involve the substitution of a leaving group with a nucleophile, resulting in the formation of a new bond.
• The key difference between nucleophilic addition and substitution reactions is the type of bond formed, with addition reactions resulting in the formation of a new bond and substitution reactions resulting in the substitution of a leaving group.