Molecules in four dimensions
Subjects from the organic chemistry curriculum

Structures: Lewis and 3D Lewis structures and VSEPR theory translated to 3D.
Molecular Orbitals MO's in diatomics and other small molecules, in VRML format.
Conformations of n-alkanes C & J Find out about the conformations of n-alkanes and their potential energy as a function of the conformation.
Stereochemistry and stereoisomers Examine the 3D structures that correspond to the 2D drawings found in textbooks on this subject.
Conformations of cyclohexane C & J Look at the ring-flip of cyclohexane and learn about factors that influence the stability of a conformation.
Stereoisomerism of cyclic compounds C & J An introduction to cis-trans isomerism in cyclic compounds. Learn about the impact of stereochemistry on elimination reactions in cyclic compounds.
Stereochemistry of the SN2 reaction C & J An introduction to the stereochemistry of the SN2 reaction.
The SN1 reaction About the (lack of) stereochemistry of the SN1 reaction, hydride shifts and methyl shifts.
Molecular vibrations Animated vibrations, as part of infrared spectroscopy.
Pseudorotation Conformational change in PF5 trigonal bipyramid.
Elimination reactions Two possible E2 elimination reactions in 2-bromobutane.
Stereochemistry of the chlorohydrin reaction An example of a stereoselective and stereospecific reaction.
Reactions of chlorohydrins Epoxide formation in cis or trans 2-chlorocyclohexanol.
Sharpless epoxidation Asymmetric epoxidation of the double bond in allylic alcohols.
Reactions of epoxides Acid catalyzed ring opening.
Inversion at nitrogen The difference between an open and a ring structure.
Electrophilic aromatic substitution Calculate the relative activation energy, to determine directive effects.
Cycloaddition reactions Learn about HOMO/LUMO interactions (watch VRML2 animations of orbitals) in the Diels-Alder reaction and in [2 + 2] cycloadditions.
Carbonyl chemistry Reactions of the carbonyl group: nucleophilic addition and alpha-H abstraction.
Glucose Shows you the relation between the Fischer projection, the Haworth projection, and the 3D-structure of glucopyranose.
Food science A number of (experimental) pages on the chemistry of taste and smell.

Modules marked with C & J are available in Chime and Java; other modules are Chime-only.

Back to starting page