Approaches to Planning Practical Organic Syntheses

Exercise 13-13 The rearrangement of 1,2-butadiene to 2-butyne shown above uses ethoxide ion as a basic catalyst. When one mole of 1,2-butadiene is treated with one mole of sodium amide in liquid ammonia, and water is added, the product is 1-butyne. Show the steps involved and explain why the product is different when an equivalent amount of a very strong base is used. (You may wish to review Section 11-8.) 

Chemical synthesis is not a science that can be taught or learned by any well-defined set of rules. Some classify synthesis as more art than science because, as with all really creative endeavors, to be very successful requires great imagination conditioned by a wealth of background knowledge and experience. The problems of synthesis basically are problems in design and 

13 Polyfunctional Compounds. Alkadienes. Approaches to Organic Synthesis 

The choice of the best route usually is made by considering  

The ease of separation and purification of the desired product from by-products and stereoisomers 

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