Chapter 3, Problem 128EQ

A strong acid is used to catalyze this Fischer Esterification of acetic acid. What two steps in this reaction are accelerated by the presence of strong acid, and what function does the acid play in each of these steps?

Propose a mechanism for base-promoted conversion of the proposed intermediate to sodium cyclopentanecarboxylate

In what way does this steam hydrolysis affect the configuration of the chiral center in pulegone? Assign an R or S configuration to the 3-methylcyclohexanone formed in this reaction.

How may methyl bromide be preferentially converted to methyl isocyanide?

Write the mechanism of the aldol condensation between benzaldehyde and acetone

is the sodium borohydride reduction of aldehydes selective?

Define the mechanism that converts a hydroxy aldehyde to a cyclic hemiacetal ?

write structures for the various aldol condensation products you would expect from the aldol self condensation of 2-butanone

Is the following statement true or false? If the newly added group in the tetrahedral intermediate is a stronger base than the group attached to the acyl group in the reactant, then formation of the tetrahedral intermediate is the rate-limiting step of a nucleophilic acyl substitution reaction.