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Organic Chemistry/Introduction to reactions/Oxidation reactions

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Intro to oxidation reactions

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Oxidation reactions involve electron loss in the moeity of interest. When iron rusts, iron atoms lose electrons to oxygen molecules, and is said to undergo oxidation.

Ozonolysis

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This is one of the simplest and easiest reaction mechanisms to learn. In ozonolysis, a carbon-carbon double bond is split in two by reaction with ozone. The two products, which can be aldehydes or ketones, each have one oxygen atom double bonded to each of the two carbons that had made up the double bond. The ozone (O3) cuts right thru the carbon-carbon double bond and leaves oxygens double bonded to the two newly severed ends.


Ozonolysis


C=C O3/→ molozanide → ozonide Zn/→ C=O + O=C

that is,


C=C O3/→ 2C=O

Osmylation

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In this reaction, a carbon-carbon double bond turns into a single bond with one hydroxy group attached to each of the two carbons.

When heated, this product splits into two ketones (each of the two carbons ends up double bonded to the oxygen in the hydroxy group).

Epoxidation (peroxidation)

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This reaction uses peroxides (an oxide with an extra linked oxygen) to produce epoxides.