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Nucleophilic substitution at carbonyl

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Total cards: 24•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (24)

#1
Front (Question)

What can esters be formed from?

Back (Answer)

Acid chlorides Acid anhydrides

#2
Front (Question)

How can acid anhydrides be made from acid chlorides?

Back (Answer)

If carboxylate is the nucleophile

#3
Front (Question)

What nucleophile is required for the formation of amides?

Back (Answer)

Amine

#4
Front (Question)

What does the stability of the tetrahedral intermediate depend on?

Back (Answer)

How good a leaving group X- is

#5
Front (Question)

What makes a good leaving group?

Back (Answer)

Most electronegative is the most stable as a negative charge

#6
Front (Question)

What can the leaving group ability of X- be judged by?

Back (Answer)

How strong an acid HX is

#7
Front (Question)

How does acid strength affect leaving group ability?

Back (Answer)

Strong acids HX readily dissociate to give X-, so X- must be relatively stable and a good leaving group

#8
Front (Question)

How does pKaH relate to leaving group ability?

Back (Answer)

The lower the pKaH, the better the leaving group

#9
Front (Question)

What tends to be the best leaving group?

Back (Answer)

Cl- pKaH = -7

#10
Front (Question)

How does pKaH relate to the strength of the molecule as a nucleophile?

Back (Answer)

The higher the pKaH, the better the nucleophile

#11
Front (Question)

What is the most electrophilic carboxylic acid derivative and why?

Back (Answer)

Acid chloride Most electronegative Cl- makes C=O more delta positive

#12
Front (Question)

What is the least electrophilic carboxylic acid derivative and why?

Back (Answer)

Amide Inductive electron withdrawal is less as nitrogen is less electronegative

#13
Front (Question)

What effect does protonation of the C=O have?

Back (Answer)

Makes the carbon more delta positive

#14
Front (Question)

What effect does protonation of the leaving group have?

Back (Answer)

Lowers pKaH and makes it a better leaving group

#15
Front (Question)

What type of reaction is acid catalysed ester hydrolysis?

Back (Answer)

Reversible REMEMBER arrows

#16
Front (Question)

What type of reaction is base mediated ester hydrolysis ?Why?

Back (Answer)

Irreversible as the CO2- is very stable

#17
Front (Question)

What harsh conditions are required for amide hydrolysis under acidic conditions?

Back (Answer)

Strong acid, eg. H2SO4 High temperatures eg. 100 degrees

#18
Front (Question)

What harsh conditions are required for amide hydrolysis under basic conditions?

Back (Answer)

Strong base eg. NaOH, 100 degrees

#19
Front (Question)

Why are harsh conditions required for amide hydrolysis?

Back (Answer)

The amide is very stable due to conjugation

#20
Front (Question)

What electrophile can be used to make acid chlorides from carboxylic acids?

Back (Answer)

SOCl2

#21
Front (Question)

Is the mechanism for the formation of acid chloride form a carboxylic acid reversible or irreversible and why?

Back (Answer)

Gases HCl and SO2 are lost Making the reaction irreversible

#22
Front (Question)

What conditions are needed for the formation of acid chloride from carboxylic acid?

Back (Answer)

SOCl2 80 degrees 6 hours

#23
Front (Question)

What reagents are needed to form a ketone from an ester?

Back (Answer)

• Organometallic (R-Li) or Grignard reagent (r-MgBr) / THF 2. HCl, H2O

#24
Front (Question)

Why is it difficult to form a ketone from an ester?

Back (Answer)

A ketone is more electrophilic than the ester so it will be attacked again by the Grignard reagent to form a tertiary alcohol