AQA Chemistry A Level: Organic Synthesis and Analysis

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards focusing on organic synthesis routes, reagents for oxidation and reduction, and chemical tests for identifying functional groups.

Target molecule

The specific molecule that a chemist aims to create through a series of organic reactions, often used in drug or pesticide manufacture.

Yield

A measure of the efficiency of the conversion of a starting material into a product in a chemical process.

Cyanide ion ($CN^-$) reaction

A reaction used to increase the length of a carbon chain by one atom, such as converting bromomethane ($CH_3Br$) to ethanenitrile ($CH_3C \text{≡} N$).

Synthetic robots

Arrays of reaction tubes and computer-controlled syringes used in the pharmaceutical industry to produce a 'library' of related compounds for testing.

Acidified Potassium dichromate (VI) ($K_2Cr_2O_7/H_2SO_4$)

An oxidising agent that converts primary alcohols to aldehydes and carboxylic acids, and secondary alcohols to ketones, with an orange to green color change.

Sodium tetrahydridoborate (III) ($NaBH_4$)

A reducing agent used in aqueous solution that reduces polar unsaturated groups like $C=O$ but cannot reduce non-polar $C=C$ bonds.

Nucleophile $:H^-$

A hydride ion generated by $NaBH_4$ that attacks the $\text{C}^{\text{δ+}}$ in polar groups but is repelled by the electron-rich $C=C$ bond.

Hydrogen with a nickel catalyst ($H_2/Ni$)

A reducing agent combination used specifically to reduce $C=C$ bonds, though it does not reduce $C=O$ bonds.

Tin and hydrochloric acid ($Sn/H^+$)

Reagents used in aromatic chemistry to reduce a nitro group ($R-NO_2$) to an amine group ($R-NH_2$).

Dehydrating agents

Substances like heated aluminium oxide ($Al_2O_3$) or acid catalysts used to convert alcohols into alkenes via elimination reactions.

Bromine water test

A chemical test for alkenes where the red-brown color of the bromine solution disappears (decolourises).

Halogenoalkane test

A multi-step process involving warming with $NaOH(aq)$, acidifying with $HNO_3$, and adding $AgNO_3(aq)$ to form a precipitate of silver halide ($AgX$).

Fehling's solution

A reagent used to test for aldehydes; when warmed, the blue solution produces a red precipitate.

Tollens' solution

An ammoniacal silver nitrate reagent used to identify aldehydes, resulting in the formation of a silver mirror.

Sodium hydrogencarbonate ($NaHCO_3$) test

A test for carboxylic acids where the addition of the reagent results in bubbles of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) gas.

Smoky flame

An observation during combustion that suggests a high $C:H$ ratio, often indicating the presence of an aromatic compound.