Reagent/Catalyst

Uses

1

 Adam's Catalyst or PtO2

 .Hydrogenation,

.Hydrogenolysis,

.Dehydrogenation

.Oxidation reactions.

*Hydrogenation occurs with syn-stereochemistry when used on an alkyne, resulting in a cis-alkene. 

2

 Adkin's catalyst or Copper chromite/ Copper chromium oxide catalyst

 .Reduction

.Dehydrogenation

.Decarboxylation

3

  Anhydrous aluminium chloride

 .As catalyst in FC reactions

.In Fries rearrangement

.In gattermann reactions

.As catalyst in addition of RX across olefinic double bond

.As a catalyst in isomerisation reactions of alkane.

4

Bu3SnH or tributyl tin hydride or tributylstannane

  .To reduce one halogen atom of gem dihalide but does not reduce alkyl halides

. To transform acid chlorides to aldehydes

5

 Aluminium isopropoxide

.As a catalyst in MPV reduction

.With excess reagent and at higher temperature to transform diaryl ketone into hydrocarbon

.In oppenauer oxidation

6

Baeyer's reagent or cold alkaline solution of KMnO4

.To test the presence of unsaturation

.To cause cis-hydroxylation of double bonds

7

 9-BBN

.To carry out high regeoselective hydroboration

.To convert aldehyde or ketone to an alkene indirectly

8

BF3

.For FC reactions. Though it is less reactive than AlCl3, but it serves as a good catalyst for electrophilic reagents such as alcohols







boron trifluoride etherate catalyses reduction of ester by LiAlH4

. To catalyse formation of esters from alcohols, acids, ethers, olefins, etc.

.To catalyse formation of acids from alcohols

. To carry hydrolysis of cyanides to amides

9

NBS

.As a brominating agent at allylic and benzylic positons

.As an oxidising agent to oxidise primary and secondary alcohols to aldehydes and ketones respectively alpha-amino acids, peptides and proteins are decarboxylated with NBS in aqueous medium

RCH(NH2)COOH ---(NBS)----> RCHO + NH3 + CO2

10

Burgess reagent or Methyl N-(triethylammoniumsulphonyl)carbamate

.To convert unsubstituted amides to nitriles

. To dehydrate alcohols with syn-elimination

11

m-Chloroperbenzoic acid or mCPBA

.In B-V oxidation to convert aldehydes or ketones to acids or esters respectively

.To convert olefins to epoxides

. To convert sulphides to sulphoxides

12

Collin's reagent or Dipyridine Cr(IV) oxide...solid chromic anhydride and pyridine are dissolved in methylene chloride

. To oxidise primary alcohols to aldehydes without converting to the acids

13

 Collman's reagent or sodium tetracarbonyl ferrate(II)

. To convert alkyl halides, primary bromides to aldehydes. The reaction is not satisfactory for benzylic bromide.

 RBr -----(Collman's reagent, Ph3P, AcOH)----> RCHO

14

Diaomethane

. To methylate acidic substances like carboxylic acids. Mild acidic substances like phenol can also be methylated. However, alcohols, amines can be methylated in presence of catalyst.

.To prepare higher homologue of aldehydes and ketones.







.Cyclic ketones undergo ring expansion.

15

Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or DCC

. To catalyse peptide bond formation

. To prepare alkyl aryl ethers

. To prepare diacyl peroxide from carboxylic acid in presence of H2O2. In absence of H2O2, however, acid anhydride is formed.

16

Fenton's reagent or ferrous sulphate dissolved in H2O2

.To cause hydroxylation of arenes in a radical substitution

. To cause oxidation of glycol to glycolaldehyde

.To oxidise alpha-hydroxy acids to alpha-keto acids







 in waste treatment (toxic substances hydrology progamme). It can destroy organic compounds present in water.

17

Gillman reagent or lithium dialkyl copper

. To prepare unsymmetrical alkane conveniently in Corey-House reaction

. To cause alkylation of ketones as Gilman reagents do not react with ketone

18

Girard's reagent

.To form water soluble hydrazones.

these hydrazones are water soluble because of the ionic part. This property makes Girard reagent potentially effective for isolation of carbonyls from mixture soluble in non-polar solvents.

19

Grignard reagent

.It reacts with a variety of carbonyl derivatives

.Reacts with other various electrophiles

20

 Jones reagent or solution of sodium dichromate in dilute sulphuric acid.

.To cause oxidation of secondary alcohol to ketone without affecting double or triple bonds

21

Lead tetra acetate

.To oxidise quinol to quinone

. To oxidise 1,2-diols to aldehydes, ketones or both depending upon the structure.







in oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acids and alpha-keto acids to give aldehydes and acids respectively with the evolution of CO2

.In oxidation of alpha-hydroxy ketones.

22

 Lemieux reagent or aq. solution of NaIO4 and traces of KMnO4. Actual oxidising agent is MnO4(-)

.To determine position of a double bond. Olefinic bond is oxidised to carbonyls or acids or both depending upon situation

23

Lindlar catalyst or palladium deposited on CaCO3

.For the hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes. Alkyne reduction is stereoselective, occuring via syn-addition to give cis-alkene.

24

LAH or LiAlH4/ lithium aluminium hydride

.To reduce carbonyl compounds, acids, esters, epoxides, acid chlorides and anhydrides to alcohols without normally affecting the double bond. However, the double bond gets reduced when a phenyl group is present at beta- position.

.to reduce nitro compounds, oximes, and azides to primary amines. When LAH is added to the solution of nitrile at low temperature, aldehyde is formed. But when solution of nitrile is added to LAH, amine is formed.

.To reduce primary and secondary halides. However, tertiary halides give olefins due to elimination.

25

Lucas reagent or solution of anhydrous ZnCl2 in conc. HCl

.To distinguish b/w primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.

26

MnO2 used in methylene chloride medium

.To oxidise allylic and propargylic alcohols

to reactive aldehydes

.To convert cyanides to amides

27

Organolithium reagent or RLi

.To prepare highly hindered alcohols, which is not possible through grignard's reagent. Highly hindered grignard's reagents undergo reduction.

28

  Osmium  tetroxide

 . To convert an alkene to vicinal diol through syn-addition

29

Periodic acid or ortho periodic acid.

White crystalline inorganic solid used in water medium. Almost behaves in a similar way as Pb(OAc)4. However, it is complementory to Pb(OAc)4, which is soluble in organic solvents.







.To cause oxidative cleavage of bonds carrying groups prone to undergo oxidation. One mole of reagent is required to cleave one bond.

.To cleave epoxides to aldehydes.

30

Raney nickel

.As a reagent to desulphurise organic compounds







.For reduction of carbon-carbon multiple bonds







.For reduction of aromatic ethers







.For reduction of nitro group to amino group







 .For hardening of oils

31

Schiff's reagent:: it is a dilute solution of p-rosaniline hydrochloride decolourised by SO2

.To test the presence of CHO functional group in an organic material. Aldehydes snatch a molecule of sulphurous acid from schiff's reagent to restore its quinoid structure and hence pink colour. Ketones do not react.

32

Sodamide (NaNH2)

. To prepare alkynes from dihalides







.To convert lower 1-alkynes to higher alkynes







.To prepare reactive anions, which can take part in a number of reactions

33

NaBH4 used in alkaline medium or in DMSO

 . To reduce carbonyl group to alcohol without affecting other reducible groups such as ester, carboxyl, amide, nitrile, nitro and double bond

.To reduce an ozonide to an alcohol

. To reduce primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl halides.