Organic Compounds

Hydrocarbons (hexane or cyclohexane)

Alcohols (1, 2, and 3)
Halogenoalkanes (Cl, Br, I)
Test for C=C; add Bromine water and shake; if brown colour changes to colourless
and two layers form then C=C present
Test for C=C; add dil. H2SO4 and then potassium manganate (VII), shake test tube and
warm; if purple colour changes to colourless and 2 layers form, then C=C present
Ignition
Igniting an organic unknown on a crucible lid may help in identifying it.
Observation
Burns with a smoky flame
Burns with a clean flame
No residue

Test
Warm with acidified
potassium dichromate (VI)
Warm with aqueous
sodium/ potassium
hydroxide, acidify with
dilute nitric acid, then add
aqueous silver nitrate
Phosphorus (V) chloride

Possible inferences
Aromatic, unsaturated eg. alkene
Saturated low molar mass compound
Most lower molar mass sompounds

Observation
Orange to green solution
Precipitate:
White
Cream
Yellow
Steamy fumes of HCl that
turn damp blue litmus
paper red

Inference
Primary or secondary
alcohol, aldehyde
Halogenalkanes:
C-Cl
C-Br
C-I
OH groups in alcohols and
carboxylic acids

To distinguish between 1, 2 and 3 alcohols:

Add dil. H2SO4 and aqueous potassium dichromate (VI), warm beaker
Solution goes from orange to green = 1 or 2 alcohol
Solution stays orange = 3 alcohol

Halogenoalkanes insoluble in water (2 layers)

Silver nitrate solution
1

Aqueous silver nitrate is commonly used to test for the presence of halide ions
in solution. Anions which would interfere with the test (eg carbonate) are
removed by adding dilute nitric acid before the aqueous silver nitrate
The identity of a halide may be confirmed by the addition of aqueous
ammonia, (NH3), both dilute and concentrated.
Silver halides which dissolve in ammonia do so to form a colourless solution
of a complex ion, [Ag(NH3)2]+

Anion
Chloride
Bromide

Precipitate
Colour
Formula
White
AgCl
Cream
AgBr

Iodide

Yellow

AgI

Addition of aqueous NH3

Dilute
Concentrated
Soluble
Soluble in
Soluble
excess
Insoluble
Insoluble

Spectroscopy
Mass spectrometry

Relative molar mass of compound can be obtained from m/e value of the
molecular ion (highest value of m/e)
Fragmentation pattern of spectrum gives useful information about the structure of
the molecule (peak m/e 29 likely be due to C2H5)
Remember to always put a + charge on any displayed structure since they are ions

Infrared spectroscopy

Powerful and non-destructive technique to get information regarding covalent

bonds within a molecule
Look for most intense absorptions