Suxamethonium

Sometimes CO2 is suitable, in which case you can make it (acid + carbonate) or buy it (welding supply). Also Argon can be sourced from welding supply stores.

Haha, I came across this old post searching for thionyl chloride related threads lol- but for my two cents worth:

I would determine a substance to be in the top 'nastiest' if it still poses significant life threatening or incapacitating risks after approriate safety measures have been implimented. Things like dimethyl mercury which can readily and rapidly penetrate through most safety gloves (latex, PVC and I think nitrile- but slower).

Things like concentrated nitric acid aren't likely to kill you unless you do something terribly stupid with it (like throwing it into the air above you).

Gases would still probably be significant candidates though- although not so much if you work in a decent fume hood.

Is it the reactivness of water that allows it to solvate substances? I feel that I disagree to that. "Reactiveness" implies that the water exchanges electrons with the solute which I feel is not the case in a typical dissolution. Likewise, alkanes are fairly unreactive in comparison (mostly only react via radical mechanisms) yet they have good solvent properties for many organic substances.

Whilst I agree that neon is probably not the solvent of choice, I don't feel that the explaination proposed quite fits. Although it definately addresses why neon would be a poor polar solvent.

As for explaining solubilty, I would have thought it was related to co-ordination complexes and how solvent molecules can form "cages" around the solute.

Im only new to this forum but I think I can help you out a bit.

For 2 part a. In sumary:

A --> B

Cyclohexanediol > E-1,2-cyclohexanediol

Compund A is vague- it could be 1,1-cyclohexanediol or Z-1,2-cyclohexanediol. Or perhaps even it could just be cyclohexanol? Either way I feel the easiest way to get a trans diol would be to go via an epoxide intermediate. Thats all I'll say for now, but can help if you get stuck again.

As for part b, they sound like 1- and 2-phenylethanols. Dehydration to the alkene would be my first move- and then deside on whether you want markovnikov or anti-markovnikov addition.

Hopefully that helps you out in time

I have interest in sodium as an organic chemist. Strong bases like sodium amide and alkoxides require sodium metal for any decent yeilds of the reagents. My idea is based on the mercury process for production of sodium hydroxide. I would be insterested in feedback as the method doesn't involve high temperatures or any reactive metals other than the produced sodium which I feel makes it safer (mercury is a much more predictable hazard than highly reactive metals exposed to who knows what at 1000+ degrees C).

I am reluctant to go into detail as I havent had the chance (mercury is hard to come by) to test it and don't want anyone hurting or poisoning themselves trying to copy it.

So just basically, the THEORY behind the method is to:

• Form the sodium in the mercury as per the mercury cell process for sodium hydroxide production.
• Collect the amalgam
• Remove mercury from the amalgam by vacuum leaving behind sodium metal
   
  The sodium would be contaminated with mercury- but seeing as im using this for reagents thats not so much of a problem as the mercury probs wouldn't react.

I want to re-inforce that this is just an idea that I want feedback on, it may not work and it may be extremely dangerous particularly for amature chemists.

Do you mean 2-aminoacetophenone?

Hmmm, off the top of my head- you could try using iPrOH and glacial Acetic Acid in the presence of concetrated sulfuric acid under reflux for probably half a day or so? This would be the safest way at home but would have a low yeild (most likely much less than 50% - you may want to periodically distill off product and replace H₂SO₄ to maximise yield based on equilibrium).

Otherwise you would get better results if you used an acyl chloride with the iPrOH. This is problematic though because you have to buy it or make it (which involves thionyl chloride or phosphorous chlorides) which is pretty dangerous (not to mention you have to find or make those reagents too). If you could get hold of the acyl chloride (in this case ethanoyl (or acetyl) chloride) you would require anhydrous conditions and would produce HCl as the by-product.

So I'm confused as to whether you understand the missing reagent?

As others were trying to point out, the reagent can be determined mechanistically. You have suggested you know the mechanism, which I beleive as it is easily aquired from a google search, so I will just tell you the reagent you are missing.

You need an acid catalyst. In literature I have noted that TsOH is used, however I feel comfortable assuming that other acids (e.g. HCl) would be effective. TsOH is probably used in literature because of its solubility in non-polar solvents like benzene.