6.2 Nucleophilic Addition Reactions

LEARNING GOALS

After   Chapter 6.2,    you will    be  able    to:

Predict the products    of  reacting    aldehydes   or  ketones with    alcohols,   in  the presence    or

absence of  acidic  conditions

Recall  the functional  group   formed  when    nitrogen-containing derivatives react   with

aldehydes   or  ketones

Predict the product of  the reaction    of  HCN with    aldehydes   or  ketones,    including   the

reactivity  of  the product:

In each of the following reactions, the general reaction mechanism is the same: nucleophilic
addition to a carbonyl. This is one of the most important reaction mechanisms on the MCAT, and
many of the reactions of aldehydes, ketones, and more complex molecules share this general
reaction mechanism. Rather than memorizing each reaction individually, focus on the overall
pattern—then learn how a particular reaction exemplifies it.

MCAT EXPERTISE

Memorizing  one reaction    may help    you to  get one question    right   on  the MCAT,   but

understanding   trends  and overarching concepts    will    allow   you to  answer  many    more

questions   correctly.  You will    see that    the carbonyl    carbon  is  a   great   target  for nucleophilic

attack  in  many    of  the reactions   in  this    chapter.