Sodium

In this video I look at the use of the two main reducing agents employed in organic chemistry. These are lithium aluminium hydride (lithal) and sodium borohydride. I outline the mechanism (nucleophilic addition) in which hydride ions react with C=O groups to form alcohols via alkoxide intermediates. I compare the reactivities of the two reducing agents and discuss the explosive risks associated with using lithium aluminium hydride with protic solvents such as water or methanol. A practical setup, that could be used to reduce aldehydes and ketone with lithal, is presented at the end. It is one in a series of short videos looking at the main organic practical techniques: heat & distill; reflux distillation; washing and drying in solvent extraction; recrystallisation and melting point determination; and others

This video is a follow-up to the use of the iodoform test in the identification of CH3CH(OH)R alcohols. With alcohols, the first stage in the test forms sodium iodate from iodine and sodium hydroxide. This has iodine in its +1 oxidation state and it oxidises the alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde or ketone. For this reason, the use of the test to identify CH3COR carbonyls, overlaps with the CH3CH(OH)R alcohol test. The structures are drawn out and discussed and the iodoform test is demonstrated.

This video looks at the laboratory oxidation of alcohols using acidified sodium dichromate. It outlines the procedure and explains the underlying redox chemistry. It is one in a series on alcohol chemistry.

A short video to show you how acidic impurities are removed by washing with aqueous sodium hydrogencarbonate in a separating funnel. It is one in a series of short videos looking at the main organic practical techniques: heat & distill; reflux distillation; washing and drying in solvent extraction; recrystallisation and melting point determination; and others

This Chemistry lesson is titled Sodium Explodes in Water Why Doesnt Salt and will give a detailed explanation of the topic.

This video, in under an hour, provides a comprehensive lecture on the chemistry of alcohols. It looks at all the key reactions: oxidation, chlorination, nucleophilic substitution, esterification and dehydration It also looks at the reaction with sodium and at the use of the iodoform reaction to test for alcohols with the structure CH3CH(OH)R. Also suitable for revising specific units as might be required.

In this video I look at how to remove water that has "got caught up in" an organic liquid. Known as "drying", this procedure is carried out in a small conical flask, using a drying agent such as anhydrous calcium chloride or anhydrous sodium sulfate. It is one in a series of short videos looking at the main organic practical techniques: heat & distill; reflux distillation; washing and drying in solvent extraction; recrystallisation and melting point determination; and others

This video looks in some detail at the 6 chemical reactions that are typical of carboxylic acids. Reactions with: sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate, ammonia, sodium metal and phosphorus pentachloride.

This video looks at three common nucleophilic substitution reactions of haloalkanes. The reaction with aqueous sodium hydroxide, ammonia in water or alcohol and potassium cyanide in a mixture of water and alcohol. The mechanism common to these reactions is considered in detail.