last updated Monday, October 06, 2008

Meeting 3 Problem Set - 30BL

NO ONLINE QUIZ FOR THIS MEETING!

1.Using PC Spartan 2002 at the Science Learning Center (4th Floor Young Hall) do the following:

a. Draw camphor if you have not done it yet (Make sure that all hydrogen atoms are still attached!). Minimize the structures by clicking the minimize icon, , then save.

b. Go to the view mode by clicking the view icon, . Once in the view mode, click the Model menu and select Tube.

c. Select Calculations from the Setup menu.

d) Do the same (steps a-c) for 2-norbornanone.

2. Referring to the below reaction,

(endo/exo huh?)

answer the following questions:

a. Which isomer is expected to be the major product for this reaction? Why? (Include the LUMO diagram generated in question 1 to answer this question. Make sure to show the proper orientation! Hint: What are you trying to show here?)

b. What would change if NaBD4 and CH3OH/H2O were used in this reaction? Show the structure of the product.

c. Why is the LUMO orbital used to rationalize the stereochemistry in this reaction?

3. Referring to the below reaction,

answer the following questions:

a. Draw the products formed in this reaction

b. Which product is the major and which is the minor? Explain using the LUMO generated above (Include the LUMO diagrams generated in question 1 to answer this question. Make sure to show the proper orientation!). What are the differences compared to 2-norboranone?

4. Experimental

a. Why is camphor dissolved in methanol first and the sodium borohydride is added later?

b. Why is important to avoid the evaporation of the methanol during the reaction?

c. After the reaction is completed, the reaction mixture is chilled and water is added. Why is this step performed and what is he supposed to observe at this point?

d. In lecture it was emphasized to minimize the amount of drying agent being used. Explain why. How does the student know that he added enough?

e. Why is the solvent evaporated on a water bath and not on the hotplate?

f. A student observes a melting point range of 210-212 oC for his final product in this reaction. Which conclusion(s) can he draw?

g. Why is it important to submit a fairly dilute sample for the acquisition of the GC?

h. How do the FTIR spectra of camphor and isoborneol differ from each other?