Nitro group → amino group
For substitution of a halogenoalkane to form an alcohol, you need aqueous NaOHcap N a cap O cap H . If you accidentally use ethanolic NaOHcap N a cap O cap H
Chemsheets organic synthesis resources are designed primarily for A-level Chemistry Chemsheets Organic Synthesis Problems Answers
Esterification / Nucleophilic addition-elimination (Alcohol, concentrated H2SO4cap H sub 2 cap S cap O sub 4 catalyst, heat).
| Conversion | Reagents & Conditions | |------------|------------------------| | Alkene → Alkane | H₂, Ni/Pt/Pd catalyst, 150°C | | Alkene → Dihaloalkane | Br₂ (or Cl₂), room temp, no UV | | Alkene → Halohydrin | Br₂ / H₂O (or Cl₂ / H₂O) | | Alkene → Diol | Cold dilute KMnO₄ or OsO₄ | | Haloalkane → Alcohol | NaOH(aq) or KOH(aq), heat under reflux | | Haloalkane → Nitrile | KCN in ethanol/water, heat under reflux | | Haloalkane → Amine | Excess NH₃ in ethanol, heat in sealed tube | | Haloalkane → Alkene | NaOH or KOH in ethanol, heat | | Alcohol → Aldehyde | K₂Cr₂O₇ / H₂SO₄, distil immediately | | Alcohol → Carboxylic acid | K₂Cr₂O₇ / H₂SO₄, heat under reflux | | Aldehyde → Carboxylic acid | K₂Cr₂O₇ / H₂SO₄, heat; or Tollens’ reagent | | Aldehyde → Primary alcohol | NaBH₄ (or LiAlH₄) in water/ethanol; or H₂ / Ni | | Ketone → Secondary alcohol | NaBH₄ or LiAlH₄ | | Carboxylic acid → Ester | Alcohol + conc. H₂SO₄, heat | | Ester → Carboxylic acid + alcohol | Dilute H₂SO₄ or dilute NaOH, heat (hydrolysis) | | Benzene → Nitrobenzene | Conc. HNO₃ + conc. H₂SO₄, 50°C | | Nitrobenzene → Phenylamine | Sn / conc. HCl, then NaOH(aq); or H₂ / Ni | | Phenol derivative from benzene | Via sulfonation / nitration / halogenation | Nitro group → amino group For substitution of
Circle the functional groups in both the starting material and the final product. Write down the reagents required to change the starting group or create the final group. Step 3: Work Backwards (Retrosynthesis)
At the A2 level, students must also consider the three‑dimensional arrangement of atoms (stereochemistry) and which position on a molecule reacts (regiochemistry). These considerations turn a simple reaction map into a detailed puzzle. H₂SO₄, heat | | Ester → Carboxylic acid
The organic synthesis packets typically cover the breadth of the A-level specification, including alkanes, alkenes, haloalkanes, alcohols, carbonyls, carboxylic acids, and amines. The problems often start with simple one-step transformations and progress toward complex "Roadmap" problems. These roadmaps provide a starting material and a final product, requiring the student to fill in the reagents, conditions, and intermediate structures.
For A‑level Chemistry students, organic synthesis is often one of the most challenging topics. It requires not only memorising dozens of reactions but also learning how to connect them logically to build complex molecules from simple starting materials. This is where – a widely used collection of worksheets for A‑level Chemistry – becomes an invaluable revision tool. The set of resources often referred to as Chemsheets organic synthesis problems answers are sought‑after by students who want to check their work, understand where they went wrong, and build confidence in planning multi‑step synthetic routes.
