University of Michigan Chemistry Tutoring
I’ve worked with over 30 students in Chem 125, Chem 210, and Chem 215 to great success in the class. I’m intricately familiar with the material, and understand the challenges that students face.
Chemistry 210: Structure and Reactivity
This course is the strongest intro organic chemistry course in the entire country. It demands a strong logical understanding, chemical understanding, and the ability to perform under time pressure. In general, the work with students follows this outline through the course of the semester.
Exam 1
Curved arrows and formal charges, Resonance, and Reaction Mechanisms (fundamental for everything else on the course)
Acid-Base chemistry: Logic, Finding closest analogues on the pKa table. Stability and Strength. The six factors (Size, Electronegativity, Resonance, Inductive Effect, Hybridization, Charge). Predicting the most acidic and basic sites. Keq
Hybridization and Orbital Drawings.
Bond line geometries and constitutional isomerism.
Exam 2
Stereochemistry, R/S determination, Planes and Centers of Symmetry. Enantiomers, Diastereomers, and Meso Compounds. Optical activity. E/Z diastereomers, oppositely substituted rings.
Conformational analysis. Newman proyections, rotating newman proyections, gauche interactions. staggered vs. eclipsed conformers., Turning newmans into wedge/dash drawings. intramolecular H-bonding.
Chair conformations, chair flips,
NMR Spectroscopy, number of signals, integration ratio.
Electrophilic addition of alkenes with strong and weak acids. Intramolecular cases.
Exam 3
Final
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution. Directing Groups. Review.
