00:02
This is the answer to chapter 21, problem number one from the smith organic chemistry textbook.
00:10
This problem gives us three ketones and asks us to rank the ketones in order of increasing reactivity towards nucleophilic attack.
00:21
And in order to answer that, we need to know that as the number of our groups bonded to the carbonyl carbon increases, reactivity towards nucleophilic attack, decreases.
00:34
And basically there are electronic and steric reasons for that.
00:39
But just in terms of sterics, we can say the less crowded the carbonyl is, the more reactive it's going to be.
00:50
So in terms of this problem, our least reactive ketone is going to be this one with the two methyl groups, one on either side of the ketone.
01:12
Our next most reactive will be the ketone with one methyl group, and then our most reactive will be the ketone with no methyl groups...