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

4.2 Rate of Nucleophilic Substitution

Acyl Halides > Acid Anhydride > Ester > Amide

Because the carbonyl compounds have a pair of non-bonding electrons on an atom attached to the carbonyl group, these compounds (acid derivatives) has a resonance contributor that aldehydes and ketones do not have. This resonance contributor places some of the positive charge on the atom adjacent to the carbonyl carbon. We have seen that the reactivity of these carbonyl compounds is related to the basicity of the Y–. The weaker the basicity of Y–, the more reactive the carbonyl group, because weak bases are better able to withdraw electrons inductively from the carbonyl carbon and are less apt to donate electrons by resonance to the carbonyl carbon.

So aldehydes and ketones are not as reactive as carbonyl compounds in which Y– is a very weak base (acyl halides and acid anhydrides) but are more reactive than carbonyl compounds in which Y– is relatively stronger base (carboxylic acids, ester and amides).

Improve your JEE MAINS score
10 Mock Test
Increase JEE score
by 20 marks
Detailed Explanation results in better understanding
Exclusively for
JEE MAINS and ADVANCED
9 out of 10 got
selected in JEE MAINS
Lets start preparing
DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING CONCEPTS?
TAKE HELP FROM THINKMERIT DETAILED EXPLANATION..!!!
9 OUT OF 10 STUDENTS UNDERSTOOD