Organic Chemistry-Named Reactions

Grade 12
Swarts Reaction
Heating an alkyl chloride/bromide in the presence of a metallic fluoride such as AgF, Hg 2F2, CoF2 or SbF3 gives
alkyl fluorides. The reaction is termed as Swarts reaction.
Note: Finkelstein Reaction and Swarts Reaction are known as halogen exchange reaction.
Wurtz Reaction
Alkyl halides react with sodium in dry ether to give hydrocarbons containing double the number of carbon atoms
present in the halide. This reaction is known as Wurtz reaction.
Wurtz-Fittig Reaction
A mixture of an alkyl halide and aryl halide gives an alkylarene when treated with sodium in dry ether and is
called Wurtz-Fittig reaction.
Fittig Reaction
Aryl halides also give analogous compounds when treated with sodium in dry ether, in which two aryl groups are
joined together. It is called Fittig reaction.
Friedel-Crafts alkylation Reaction

When benzene is treated with an alkyl halide in the presence of anhydrous aluminium chloride, alkylbenene is
formed.
Grade 12
Note: Aromatic carboxylic acids do not undergo Friedel-Crafts reaction because the carboxyl group is
deactivating and the catalyst aluminium chloride (Lewis acid) gets bonded to the carboxyl group.
Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction

The reaction of benzene with an acyl halide or acid anhydride in the presence of Lewis acids (AlCl 3) yields acyl
benzene.
Grade 12
Reimer-Tiemann Reaction
On treating phenol with chloroform in the presence of sodium hydroxide, a –CHO group is introduced at ortho
position of benzene ring resulting salicylaldehyde. This reaction is known as Reimer - Tiemann reaction.
Kolbe’s Reaction
Phenol with sodium hydroxide gives sodium phenoxide ion which with carbon dioxide in acidic medium results
hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid). This is known as Kolbe’s reaction.
Rosenmund Reduction
Acyl chloride (acid chloride) is hydrogenated over catalyst, palladium on barium sulphate. This reaction is called
Rosenmund reduction.
Grade 12
Stephen reaction
Nitriles are reduced to corresponding imine with stannous chloride in the presence of hydrochloric acid, which
on hydrolysis give corresponding aldehyde. This reaction is called Stephen reaction.
Etard reaction
Chromyl chloride oxidizes methyl group to a chromium complex, which on hydrolysis gives corresponding
benzaldehyde. This reaction is called Etard reaction.
Gatterman – Koch reaction

When benzene or its derivative is treated with carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride in the presence of
anhydrous aluminium chloride or cuprous chloride, it gives benzaldehyde or substituted benzaldehyde. This
reaction is known as Gatterman-Koch reaction.
Clemmensen Reduction
The carbonyl group of aldehydes and ketones is reduced to CH2 group on treatment with zinc-
amalgam and concentrated hydrochloric acid. This is known as Clemmensen reduction.
Wolff Kishner Reduction

The carbonyl group of aldehydes and ketones is reduced to CH 2 group on treatment with hydrazine followed by
heating with sodium or potassium hydroxide in high boiling solvent such as ethylene glycol. This is known
Wolff Kishner reduction.
Grade 12
Tollens’ test
On warming an aldehyde with freshly prepared ammoniacal silver nitrate solution (Tollens’ reagent), a bright
silver mirror is produced due to the formation of silver metal. The aldehydes are oxidised to corresponding
carboxylate anion. The reaction occurs in alkaline medium.
Fehling’s test
Fehling reagent comprises of two solutions, Fehling solution A and Fehling solution B. Fehling solution A is
aqueous copper sulphate and Fehling solution B is alkaline sodium potassium tartarate (Rochelle salt). These two
solutions are mixed in equal amounts before test. On heating an aldehyde with Fehling’s reagent, a reddish
brown precipitate is obtained. Aldehydes are oxidised to corresponding carboxylate anion. Aromatic aldehydes
do not respond to this test.
Aldol reaction
Aldehydes and ketones having at least one α-hydrogen undergo a reaction in the presence of dilute alkali as
catalyst to form β-hydroxy aldehydes (aldol) or β-hydroxy ketones (ketol), respectively. This is known as Aldol
reaction. The name aldol is derived from the names of the two functional groups, aldehyde and alcohol, present
in the products.
Aldol condensation.
The aldol and ketol readily lose water to give α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds which are aldol condensation
products and the reaction is called Aldol condensation.
Cross aldol condensation:

When aldol condensation is carried out between two different aldehydes and / or ketones, it is called cross aldol
condensation. If both of them contain α-hydrogen atoms, it gives a mixture of four products.
Grade 12
Cannizzaro reaction:
Aldehydes which do not have an α-hydrogen atom, undergo self oxidation and reduction (disproportionation)
reaction on treatment with concentrated alkali. In this reaction, one molecule of the aldehyde is reduced to
alcohol while another is oxidised to carboxylic acid salt.
Kolbe electrolysis
An aqueous solution of sodium or potassium salt of a carboxylic acid on electrolysis gives alkane containing
even number of carbon atoms.It is decarboxylation reaction. The reaction is known as Kolbe electrolysis.
Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky (HVZ )reaction.

Carboxylic acids having an α-hydrogen are halogenated at the α-position on treatment with chlorine or bromine
in the presence of small amount of red phosphorus to give α-halocarboxylic acids. The reaction is known as
Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky reaction.
Gabriel phthalimide synthesis

Gabriel synthesis is used for the preparation of pure primary amines.
Phthalimide on treatment with ethanolic potassium hydroxide forms potassium salt of phthalimide which on
heating with alkyl halide followed by alkaline hydrolysis produces the corresponding primary amine.
Grade 12
Note: Aromatic primary amines cannot be prepared by this method because aryl halides do not undergo
nucleophilic substitution with the anion formed by phthalimide.
Hoffmann bromamide degradation reaction

An amide with bromine in an aqueous or ethanolic solution of sodium hydroxide gives primary amines.
In this degradation reaction, migration of an alkyl or aryl group takes place from carbonyl carbon of the amide to
the nitrogen atom. The amine so formed contains one carbon less than that present in the amide.
Carbylamine reaction
Aliphatic and aromatic primary amines on heating with chloroform and ethanolic potassium hydroxide form
isocyanides or carbylamines which are foul smelling substances. This reaction is known as carbylamines
reaction or isocyanide test.
Note: Secondary and tertiary amines do not show this reaction and is used as a test for primary amines.
Hinsberg’s Test
Benzenesulphonyl chloride (C 6H5SO2Cl), which is also known as Hinsberg’s reagent, reacts with primary and
secondary amines to form sulphonamides.
(a) The reaction of benzenesulphonyl chloride with primary amine yields N-ethylbenzenesulphonyl amide. The
hydrogen attached to nitrogen in sulphonamide is strongly acidic due to the presence of strong electron
withdrawing sulphonyl group. Hence, it is soluble in alkali.
Grade 12
(b) In the reaction with secondary amine, N,N-diethyl- benzenesulphonamide is formed. Since N, N-
diethylbenzene sulphonamide does not contain any hydrogen atom attached to nitrogen atom, it is not acidic and
hence insoluble in alkali.
(c) Tertiary amines do not react with benzenesulphonyl chloride.
Note: This test is used for the distinction of primary, secondary and tertiary amines and also for the separation of
a mixture of amines. However, these days benzenesulphonyl chloride is replaced by p-toluenesulphonyl chloride.
Coupling Reactions:
Benzene diazonium chloride reacts with phenol in which the phenol molecule at its para position is
coupled with the diazonium salt to form p-hydroxyazobenzene. This type of reaction is known as coupling
reaction.
Similarly the reaction of diazonium salt with aniline yields p-aminoazobenzene.

Organic Chemistry-Named Reactions

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Grade 12

Friedel-Crafts alkylation Reaction

Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction

Gatterman – Koch reaction

Wolff Kishner Reduction

Cross aldol condensation:

Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky (HVZ )reaction.

Gabriel phthalimide synthesis

Hoffmann bromamide degradation reaction

(c) Tertiary amines do not react with benzenesulphonyl chloride.

Similarly the reaction of diazonium salt with aniline yields p-aminoazobenzene.

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