Making Molecules

The follow-up to the #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary introducing mass spectrometry. I've now published the blog version and it can be found at the link below. It has a little more detail, lots more pictures & is hopefully a nice expansion of the summary. The 1 page summary below as well. Enjoy

This #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky is a stopgap. It wasn't made for MakingMolecules.com (there is no blog post (& different colours)). It wasn't written for students but was written to jog my memory (guess what I'm doing this week is?). Disclaimer done! I hope someone else finds it useful. Enjoy?

The accompaniment to the last #Chemistry #ChemEd #ChemSky summary is now online at: www.makingmolecules.com/blog/sigmatr... The blog version contains more examples & talks you through the chemistry instead of just giving the pictures (bsky.app/profile/maki...). Anyways, I hope it is useful. Enjoy

As promised in the previous #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky post, I have written a more wordy/detailed overview of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. It is available below: I stress it is still an introduction but allows me to words/explanation than I can on a one-page summary. Hope it is useful, enjoy.

This #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary introduces 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. It builds on the Diels-Alder 1 pagers & is another [4+2] cycloaddition but gives 5-membered rings. It is only an intro. More details will be on makingmolecules.com as soon as I've typed up my notes. Enjoy!

As promised, a #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary introducing enamines as enolate equivalents. It's only an intro so covers formation + 3 reactions. No regio- or stereoselectivity even though they're fun. I did include the catalytic cycle from enamine organocatalysis as people expect it. Enjoy.

After enols & enolates, here's a #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky on enolate equivalents. These allow control of selectivity & permit stereoselective enolate chemistry (something I love & will eventually write a summary on). Here is formation & aldol-like reaction. Enamines will get their own summary.

No #ChemEd #Chemistry summary this week as the Analytical Science team was unleashed for a night of science, chemistry and fun. Big thanks to Brad and Daisy.

Breaking radio silence with 2x #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summaries of aldol-like rcts. These are just lists of reactions without the explanation of the last couple of summaries. One tries to include mechanisms. More a stop gap than anything else. Hopefully, someone will find them useful. Enjoy.

The obvious next post after looking at enols/enolates is the aldol reaction. The aldol reaction is an impressive beast used by both nature and chemists. This #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary is just the intro. There will be more over the coming weeks. I hope UG enjoy this!

Enolates (& their equivalents) are one of the cornerstones of many a good synthesis. So here is a #Chemistry #ChemEd #ChemSky intro to their formation & general reaction. More details on the aldol reaction & enolate equivalents will be in subsequent summaries. Enjoy.

The 1st of a few #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summaries related to enols/enolates/etc. This one covers keto-enol tautomerization and two reactions of enols. As always, it is just meant to cover the basics. It is a summary to refresh/support students' memories. As such, I hope it is of some use.

The obligatory summary of a summary and a table of E1 vs E2 vs Sn1 vs Sn2. Hopefully, this is of use to some, but if I'm brutally honest, it was just a quick stop gap while I work on more fun #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summaries (currently writing ones on cycloadditions and rearrangements). Cheers

The obvious follow-up to SN1/SN2 substitution is a #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary on E1/E2 elimination. This summary only looks at E1/E2 & not fun like E1cB. More detail is www.makingmolecules.com/blog/elimina.... Enjoy (& yes a summary of which mechanism operates is coming next week). Enjoy

Today's #Chemistry #ChemEd #ChemSky summary is SN1/SN2 substitution. I waited until 46th summary to cover this as I don't think it's as important as the chemistry of the carbonyl group (but is invariably introduced 1st in textbooks 🤷‍♂️go figure). More info www.makingmolecules.com/blog/substit... enjoy

The last MakingMolecules #Chemistry #ChemEd #ChemSky of the year, but what a post, an org chemist introducing rates of reaction with collision theory! The pool analogy is shaky/orientation is important than direction/frequency not numbers). It's a vital topic but find a physical chemist for details.

After 2 months of aromatic chem, here is something a little different (but not that different) & a #Chemistry #ChemSky #ChemEd summary on conjugate or 1,4- or Michael additions. To sound like a stuck record, it is aimed at UG with only the general mechanism & brief notes on regioselectivity. Enjoy.

The last nucleophilic aromatic substitution #Chemistry #ChemEd #ChemSky summary is a summary of the previous summaries. It shows 4 mechanisms of nucleophilic aromatic substitution including classic substitution, aryne intermediates, ionic & radical substitution of diazonium salts. Hope it helps.

With stunning originality & a certain amount of flare, I give you Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution 3. A #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary discussing substitution via aryne intermediates. It is pitched at #UG. More detail/references at www.makingmolecules.com/blog/benzyne Hope it is useful Enjoy

The second #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary on nucleophilic aromatic substitution. This time it covers the formation & use of diazonium salts. The substitution mechanism is either ionic or radical depending on the nucleophile. Good(ish) with paracyclophane (honest)! Hope this is useful. Enjoy

After 3 #Chemistry #ChemSky #ChemEd summaries on electrophilic aromatic substitution, we move to the nucleophilic variant SNAr (surprise). Not as common (due to structural limitations), but equally useful. Next week, the same reaction but with diazonium salts. Hopefully no silly mistakes this time!

Anyone for a summary of a summary? After two weeks of #ChemEd #ChemSky #Chemistry summaries on electrophilic aromatic substitution here, by popular demand, is one chart that covers just the basics. Enjoy.

More electrophilic aromatic substitution. Last week was the general reaction, today covers (de)activation & directing effects. It is a #UG simplification so no discussion of inductive effect vs hyperconjugation etc (or the transannular effect). Enjoy #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky

Here's a #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary of electrophilic aromatic substitution. As an ex-[2.2]paracyclophane chemist, this is a reaction dear to my heart. Here is just the basic mechanism aimed at UG (the mechanisms for electrophile activation are www.makingmolecules.com/blog/electro...). Enjoy

These #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summaries target early UG & the basics. Except when they don't. Here is a follow-up to anti-Markovnikov addition summary & a look at asymmetric hydroboration. It's still a summary. Only substrate control & pinene reagents. www.makingmolecules.com/blog/asymhyd...

No MakingMolecules #ChemEd summary today as NZ_Molecules is in Singapore with the wonderful folk at Gerstel (& only being a tiny bit jealous of their kit). I feel a summary of sensory directed analysis coming at some point as it is simply fascinating (& a powerful technique to help at work).

A #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary of anti-Markovnikov addition to alkenes using radical hydrobromination or hydroboration/oxidation. It's classic UG material introducing regioselectivity/stabilising intermediates. It's a simplification, more at www.makingmolecules.com/blog/antimar...

No new #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary today, just an attempt to summarise the alkene chemistry that has been covered in the last couple of infographics. It also acts as a spoiler for next week's look at anti-Markovnikov addition. Hopefully it still has some use.

A #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky intro to the frontier molecular orbital view of electrophilic addition to alkenes. It is a companion to the last one (bsky.app/profile/maki...). It is an oversimplification but useful at #UG level (I hope). It shows the limitations of curly arrow mechanisms. Enjoy.

The 1st in a series of #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summaries on the reactions of alkenes. I'm starting with nucleophilic alkenes & the common UG reactions of the addition of HX, Br2, epoxidation etc. It's a bit crowded but hopefully it is useful. More details & reactions over the coming weeks.

A #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary of acyl substitution. There is one mechanism repeated multiple times (with variations). It is addition & elimination. Acylation is possibly the most important reaction (along with proton transfer) for non-chemists taking chemistry. Hope this is useful. Enjoy.

More nucleophilic addition to aldehydes/ketones, this #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary covers condensation & the formation/hydrolysis of acetals, imines & enamines. The mechanism is the same each time, but understanding why they deliver different products is important. Enjoy

A #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky intro to models for explaining diastereoselectivity of nuc addition to C=O with an α stereocentre. It is a huge simplification. A tease for a fascinating subject. Other models exist but these are the ones often found at UG. Enjoy www.makingmolecules.com/blog/diaster...

This #ChemEd #Chemistry #ChemSky summary is an intro to nucleophilic addition to aldehydes/ketones. It's the 1st of many as I think carbonyl addition is far more useful than the traditional Sn1/Sn2 approach for teaching the basics (& more examples in biology). Hopefully it's useful. Enjoy.

There haven’t been any updates to MakingMolecules, as I was preparing a workshop on #SciCommun for MESA www.linkedin.com/company/macd... These slides (alt text for an explanation) give a flavour of the day. It was a fun day with a great bunch of scientists. MakingMolecules will return soon(ish).

It has become tradition for MakingMolecules to post a chemistry-related celebration of Matariki & the Māori New Year. This year I've added Puanga (Rigel) as it is more visible in the Manawatū. By luck, I have celebrated the 200 anniversary of benzene as well! www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/benz...