Category Archives: Post-lecture

Halloween fell on Friday this year so I should have been expecting a "trick" or "treat" when I arrived at lecture. Little did I know that I would get both.Everyone was seated in the dark when I arrived and two… Continue reading →

Here are pictures of the models that I shared with you in class on Monday. They address different issues.Model #1 – A Stable Bromonium Ion. A bromonium can be stabilized by placing large groups around the alkene. These groups offer… Continue reading →

I made two points about the 3-D aspects of nucleophilic substitution today in lecture:the bimolecular reaction that I described (aka SN2) occurs by "backside attack". This is an experimental observation that has been made hundreds (probably tens of thousands) of… Continue reading →

If you would like to look at the pictures of localized molecular orbitals (impress your parents! amaze your friends!) that I displayed in yesterday's lecture, download the following PDF files.Propene, CH3-CH=CH2Formaldehyde, CH2=O… Continue reading →

This question came up after lecture and its one worth bringing to the o chem public: Should sulfuric acid be drawn with double bonds (the way I originally drew it in lecture) or with single bonds+formal charges (the way I… Continue reading →