Chemistry > Aldehydes and Ketones > 4.0 Relative Reactivities of Carbonyl Compounds

  Aldehydes and Ketones
    1.0 Introduction
    2.0 Methods of Preparation
    3.0 Physical Properties
    4.0 Relative Reactivities of Carbonyl Compounds
    5.0 Addition of Carbon Nucleophiles
    6.0 Haloform Reactions
    7.0 Aldol Condensations
    8.0 Claisen Condensation
    9.0 Intramolecular Claisen Condensation
    10.0 Cannizzaro Reaction
    11.0 Reformatsky Reaction
    12.0 Addition of Nitrogen Nucleophiles
    13.0 Addition of Oxygen Nucleophile
    14.0 Addition of Sulphur Nucleophile
    15.0 Oxidation of Aldehydes And Ketones
    16.0 Reduction of Aldehyde and Ketones
    17.0 Other Reactions Of Aldehydes And Ketones

4.3 Reactivitiy Considerations

As we know that the acyl group of a carboxylic acid or a derivative is attached to a group that can be replaced by another group. These compounds therefore, react with nucleophiles to form substitution products.

In contrast, the acyl group of an aldehyde or a ketone is attached to a group (H or R) that is too basic (H– or R–) to be replaced by another group. Therefore, aldehydes and ketones react with nucleophiles to form an addition product. Thus, aldehydes and ketones undergo nucleophilic addition reactions while carboxylic acids and their derivative undergo nucleophilic substitution reactions.

If the nucleophile that adds to the aldehyde or ketone is a good nucleophile will readily attack the carbonyl carbon. The resulting addition product can be protonated either by the solvent or by added acid.

A poor nucleophile requires an acid catalyst to make the nucleophilic reaction occur at a reasonable rate. The acid protonates the carbonyl oxygen, which increases the susceptibility of the carbonyl carbon to nuclophilic attack.

If the attacking atom of the nucleophile has a pair of non-bonding electrons in the addition product, water will be eliminated from the addition product. This is called a nucleophilic addition – elimination reaction.




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