Crash Course
Nucleophiles and Electrophiles - Crash Course Organic Chemistry
Organic reactions are kind of like carefully choreographed fight scenes, and nucleophilic attack is a key move. This episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry is all about nucleophiles and electrophiles, or what happens at those...
Crash Course
Intro to Reaction Mechanisms - Crash Course Organic Chemistry
When we venture to new places, we need navigational tools to guide us. In organic chemistry, those are reaction mechanisms! In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’ll learn all about how to write reaction mechanisms. Having...
Crash Course
Aromaticity, Hückel's Rule, and Chemical Equivalence in NMR: Crash Course Organic Chemistry
If you’ve been paying attention so far in this series, you’ve probably heard of benzene. This molecule is flat, cyclic, and belongs to a special class of compounds known as aromatics. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry,...
Crash Course
Carboxylic Acids: Crash Course Organic Chemistry
What do the smells of feet, armpits, vomit, and goats all have in common? (Besides being super gross…) Carboxylic acids! Despite being responsible for some of our least favorite odors, carboxylic acids are also super useful in organic...
Crash Course
Alcohols, Ethers, and Epoxides: Crash Course Organic Chemistry
What comes to mind when you think of alcohol? Probably alcoholic drinks like beer or wine. But in organic chemistry alcohols are an important and versatile family of compounds. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’ll use...
Crash Course
Amines: Crash Course Organic Chemistry
Did you know that the fishier a fish smells, the longer it’s been out of the water? This is due to a chemical called trimethylamine, which is an amine, the class of organic compounds we’re discussing in this episode! Although they tend...
Crash Course
Aldehyde and Ketone Reactions - Hydrates, Acetals, & Imines: Crash Course Organic Chemistry
We’ve already learned the basics of carbonyl chemistry and talked about how we can synthesize aldehydes and ketones, but there’s still so much more to learn, like the role carbonyl groups play in reactions involving sedatives! In this...
Crash Course
Alkene - Addition Reactions - Crash Course Organic Chemistry
Like a trendy dance, a fighting combo, or a secret handshake, organic reactions can be broken down into simpler steps. In this episode of Crash Course Organic Chemistry, we’ll specifically be looking at alkene addition reactions, and...
Curated Video
VSEPR Theory: Learn Molecular Geometry Fast - Chemistry Study Guide
Struggling with VSEPR theory and molecular geometry? This video simplifies the concepts you need to master these essential chemistry topics. Learn how to draw Lewis structures with the correct geometry, understand bond angles, and...
Curated Video
Learn How To Draw Lewis Structures Easily: 4 Simple Steps For Perfect Chemistry Diagrams Every Time
Never draw a Lewis Structure wrong again! In this video, we’ll show you 4 simple steps to master the art of drawing Lewis Structures—an essential skill in chemistry that helps explain molecular behavior and the chemical and physical...
Curated Video
EASILY know if a Molecule is POLAR or NONPOLAR in Chemistry
Being able to determine if a molecule is polar or nonpolar is very important in chemistry as it allows you to then discuss intermolecular forces present in molecules which helps to predict various physical and chemical properties. In...
Curated Video
How Basic is Your Molecule? The Role of Inductive Effect
The inductive effect plays a significant role in determining a molecule's basicity. Electron-withdrawing groups decrease basicity by pulling electron density away from the nitrogen or oxygen atom, weakening its ability to accept protons....
Professor Dave Explains
Pericyclic Reactions 2
Professor Dave explains the science and theory behind pericyclic reactions (Part Two)
Professor Dave Explains
Heterocycles Part 1: Furan, Thiophene, and Pyrrole
We've mentioned heterocycles before. They are cyclic molecules where one or more atoms in the ring are not carbon. Typically these involve oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. But there are so many different heterocycles. Different sizes, some...
Professor Dave Explains
Carbenes Part 2: Cyclopropanation, C-H Insertion, and the Bamford-Stevens Reaction
In the previous tutorial we learned about carbenes. So now that we understand their properties, we are ready to learn about what we can do with them. Three major uses of carbenes involve cyclopropanation, C-H insertion, and the...
Professor Dave Explains
Pericyclic Reactions Part 2: Hetero-DA Reactions and 1,3-Dipolar Cycloadditions
After revisiting the Diels-Alder reaction, we are ready to learn about some other cycloadditions with great synthetic utility. This will include 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, which are very neat. Don't take my word for it, check this out!
Professor Dave Explains
Diazomethane Synthesis and Applications (Arndt-Eistert Homologation)
In learning about carbenes, we discovered the importance of diazomethane. So it will be a good idea to learn how to make this molecule, as well as some other things we can do with it, including something called the Arndt-Eistert...
Catalyst University
NAD: Structure and Reduction of NAD to NADH
NAD: Structure and Reduction of NAD to NADH
Professor Dave Explains
Heterocycles Part 2: Pyridine
In the previous tutorial, we learned about some five-membered aromatic heterocycles. Those were furan, thiophene, and pyrrole. Now let's learn about a six-membered one, pyridine. This one is ubiquitous in nature, so let's get the scoop...
Professor Dave Explains
Vilsmeier Reaction
What's a formylation? The introduction of a formyl group, of course. This refers to a way to make aldehydes. The Vilsmeier reaction is one such method, developed in 1927. Let's get a look at this reaction, its mechanism, and the...