The Organic Reactions Poem
In a lab not far away,
Where molecules love to play,
Lived reactions, thirty strong,
Let's sing their names in a joyful song!
1. Aldol Reaction
Quite the deal,
Carbonyls do a merry reel.
With a base or acid start,
β-Hydroxy adds to the chart.
2. Cannizzaro
Oh so grand,
Aldehydes without a helping hand.
One to alcohol will go,
Another to acid, as you know.
3. Grignard Reagent
What a feat,
Magnesium makes it all complete.
Add to carbonyls, make them bright,
Alcohols come out just right.
4. Wittig Reaction
Takes the floor,
Ylide and carbonyl explore.
An alkene forms, shining new,
Double bond, a sight to view.
5. Friedel-Crafts
Both alkylation,
And acylation in combination.
Benzene dances, takes a bow,
Electrophiles join in now.
6. Diels-Alder
In they stride,
Diene and dienophile collide.
Cycloaddition’s ring we make,
Six members, no mistake.
7. Suzuki Coupling
In the night,
Palladium sets it all to right.
Boronic acid and halide meet,
Biaryl product, oh so sweet.
8. Heck Reaction
Steps in next,
Palladium catalyst, not perplexed.
Alkene and aryl halide blend,
Carbon bond without an end.
9. Claisen Condensation
Sings,
Esters join with lovely rings.
Base will guide the ester pair,
β-Keto ester fills the air.
10. Dieckmann
Its cousin near,
Intramolecular, quite clear.
Esters make a cyclic plot,
Five or six-membered, on the dot.
11. Michael Addition
Hear its call,
Enolate and α,β-unsaturated all.
1,4-addition leads the way,
Stable bonds are here to stay.
12. Perkin Reaction
Makes us grin,
Aromatic aldehyde steps in.
Anhydride joins, base is keen,
Cinnamic acid, truly seen.
13. Pinacol Rearrangement
Clever,
Diol becomes a carbonyl endeavor.
With acid, migrate it shall,
Pinacolone, a wonder gal.
14. Reimer-Tiemann
Let’s begin,
Chloroform with phenol spin.
Add base, then you will see,
Formyl group on phenol tree.
15. Sandmeyer
With a copper twist,
Diazonium salts cannot resist.
Halides, cyanides, they align,
Substitution’s truly fine.
16. Gabriel Synthesis
Primary amine,
Phthalimide in potassium’s scene.
Hydrolysis frees the aim,
Amines rise, they stake their claim.
17. Hofmann Rearrangement
Here to stay,
Amide to amine, leads the way.
Bromine and base, make it quick,
Carbon dioxide leaves, so slick.
18. Curtius Rearrangement
In delight,
Acyl azide takes its flight.
Isocyanate forms so neat,
Amines at the final beat.
19. Wolff-Kishner
Heating high,
Hydrazone says goodbye.
Strong base and heat, reduce the plight,
Aldehyde or ketone to alkane’s might.
20. Clemmensen Reduction
In zinc’s embrace,
Aldehyde or ketone’s race.
With HCl, it does defend,
To alkane, it shall amend.
21. Malonic Ester
Oh what fun,
Diethyl malonate, here we run.
Alkylate and decarboxylate,
Carboxylic acid, first-rate.
22. Robinson Annulation
Watch it go,
Michael addition, aldol show.
Six-membered ring, in a glance,
Cyclohexenone does dance.
23. Birch Reduction
Not too far,
Benzyne made with metal bar.
Alcohols and esters sway,
Aromatic rings decay.
24. Baeyer-Villiger
With peroxide,
Ketones to esters, they glide.
Inserts oxygen, it’s great,
Carbonyl’s new fate.
25. Mannich Reaction
Triple threat,
Amine, aldehyde, ketone set.
β-Amino carbonyl in sight,
Three components, pure delight.
26. Reformatsky
Zinc is key,
α-Halo ester, aldehyde, you’ll see.
β-Hydroxy ester forms anew,
Zinc enolate pulls us through.
27. Simmons-Smith
Cyclopropane,
Alkene and diiodomethane.
Zinc-copper couple’s might,
Cyclopropane, out of sight.
28. E2 Elimination
Strong and bold,
Base removes, as we’ve been told.
β-Hydrogen says goodbye,
Alkene forms, up to the sky.
29. Zaitsev's Rule
In elimination’s game,
More substituted alkene’s the name.
E1 or E2, you’ll find,
Zaitsev's alkene, in your mind.
30. Oxymercuration-Demercuration
Quite the tale,
Alkene to alcohol, never frail.
Mercury, then sodium in brine,
Markovnikov’s product, purely fine.
Now you know these thirty friends,
Reactions with their twists and bends.
In a lab, they shine so bright,
Making molecules, day and night!
Note: This poem was generated by AI. It is designed to help memorize various organic chemistry reactions in a fun and engaging way, inspired by the style of Roald Dahl.