List of reagents used in the organic chemistry and their uses

Aqueous NaOH

Reflux

Nucleophilic substitution, converts haloalkanes to alcohols.

Mg in dry ether

Reflex

Used to make grignard reagents with haloalkanes.

PCI₅

Room temperature

Chlorinating agent, reacts with OH group in alcohols and carboxylic acids

HNO₃ and H2SO₄

55C

Adds NO₂ group onto benzene ring.

CI₃ and AICI₃

Warm gently

Adds CI group onto benzene ring.

CH₃CH₂CI and AICI₃

Warm gently

Adds CH₃CH₂ group onto benzene ring.

HCI and NaNO₂

Below 5C

Forms diazonium salts with phenylamine.

Name of Reagent

Conditions

Example of its Use

K₂Cr₂O₇ with conc. H₂SO₄

Warm gently

Oxidising agent, used commonly for oxidising secondary alcohols to ketones.

Excess conc. H₂SO₄

Heat to 170 C

Dehydrating agent, used to dehydrate alcohols to alkenes.

Cl₂(g)

Ultra Violet light

Free radical reaction, used to convert alkanes to haloalkanes.

Br₂ in CCI₄

Room temperature, in the dark

Electrophilic addition, converts alkenes to dihaloalkanes.

H₂(g)

Nickel catalyst, 300 C and 30 atmospheres pressure

Hydrogenating agent, used to convert benzene to cylcohexane.

H₂(g)

Nickel catalyst, 150 C

Reducing agent, used to convert alkenes to alkanes

Tin in hydrochloric acid

Reflux

Reducing agent for converting nitrobenzene to phenylamine.

Acidified KMNO₄

Room temperature

Oxidising agent, converts alkenes to diols.

NaOH in ethanol

Reflux

Elimination reaction, converts haloalkanes to alkenes.

Intramolecular Cannizaro

i)  Aluminium isobutoxide

ii) Acetone (Oppenaur Oxidation)

Reverse of MPV oxidises alcohol to carbonyl

RO^- (Claisen Schmidt Reaction)

i) Acetic anhydride

ii) Sodium acetate (Perkin’s reaction)

i)  Aluminium isobutoxide

ii) Propan-2 ol (MPV Reduction)

Reduces ketone to alcohol

Cannizaro Reaction

This is reaction of compounds which don’t have alpha hydrogen

Cross Cannizaro

Anhydrous H contains no water

i) CHCH₃ - Alc KOH

ii) H₃O⁺ (Riemann Tiemann)

(i) CO₂

(ii) H3O⁺ (Kolbe’s reaction)

High Pressure

AlCl₃ (Fries rearrangement)

Heat

(i) K₂S₂O₈

(ii) H3O⁺ (Elb’s persulphate oxidation)

(i) Fused NaOH

(ii) H3O⁺ (Dow’s process)

High Pressure

KMnO₄, H⁺ (or) K₂Cr₂O₇, H+ (or) H₂CrO₄

Oxidises alcohol to acid

PCC (Pyrindinium) chloro chromate

Solvent CS₂

Restricted oxidation of alcohol. Forms aldehyde.

MnO₂ special oxidising agent for alcohol

HI

For 1 degree carbon

For 3 degree carbon

Conc HI contains very less water

(i) Alc KOH

(ii) NaNH₂

X₂ CCI₄

Adds both X on compound having double or triple bond

Cold Dil KMnO4

Hot KMnO₄

CF₃SO₃^-

Super Leaving Group

LiAH₄ –ether

Reduces ester to alcohol

NaBH₄- ROH (protic solvent)

Reduces to alcohol but cannot act on ester

Cr₂O₂-Cu₂O

Heat, High Pressure

Causes cleavage and reduction of ester

OSO₄ + H₂O-NaHSO₃ or Cold Dilute KMnO₄ (Hydroxylation)

Gives syn vicinal dihalide from alkene

Per-formic acid (Anti Hydroxylation)

Gives anti vicinal diol

HBr in presence of H₂O₂ (Only for HBr)

Anti Marknokov’s

Hot Alkaline KMnO₄

Replaces “=” with either C = O or COOH

CH₂-I₂, ZnCu

Adds methyl in cyclic manner

Alcoholic KOH

Removes HX from compound and adds double bond

Zn dust

Removes all HX

H₂ PdBaSO₄ or S-Quinoline (Lindhar’s catalyst) or BH₃-THF

Reduces alkyne to alkene

Ph₃P = CH₂

Replaces O of Carbonyl with methyl

NOX

ONDM (Oxymercuration demercuration)

(i) Hg (OAC)₂ + THF-H₂O

(ii) NaBH₄-OH^-

NBS

Substitutes allyic carbon with aldehyde

(i) NH₂-NH₂

(ii) RO^-

heat

Reduces carbonyl group to ketone or aldehyde

H₃PO₂

Heat

Removes diazo group

LiAH₄ or NaBH₄ or Ph₃ SnH

Reduction

R₂ CuL (Lithium dialkylcuprate)

Removes halogen from RX and adds R

Mg-ether

Adds Mg between R &  X

Red P + HI

Reduces all to corresponding alkanes

Name

Condition

Example

Br₂ + CS₂

Causes Br to go on ring

Br₂ + H₂O

Compound should be more activated than benzene

Sn + HCI

Reduces group

CuCI + HCI

Removes Diazo group

NH₄H or NaS or Na₂S

Special regents which reduce only 1 NO₂ group

CrO₂CI₂ + H₃O⁺

Converts toluene to benzaidehyde