Organic Synthesis (A Level only) (AQA A Level Chemistry)

Exam Questions

3 hours30 questions
11 mark

Many organic products can be synthesised from a few starting compounds using the correct reagents and conditions.

Which skeletal formula is a correct example for the functional groups stated?

 

Functional groups

Example

A

Alcohol and nitrile

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B

Alcohol and nitrile

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C

Ester and alkene

7-8-e-q1c-mcq-chemistry

D

Carbonyl and halogenoalkane

7-8-e-q1d-mcq-chemistry

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    21 mark

    1-(3-Aminophenyl)-1-propanone can be produced from benzene according to the following 3 step synthetic route

    7-8-e-q2-mcq-chemistry

    Which mechanism is involved in steps 1 and 2?

    • Electrophilic addition

    • Nucleophilic addition

    • Electrophilic substitution

    • Nucleophilic substitution

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    31 mark

    Propene can be used to synthesise 2-aminopropane according to the following reaction scheme7-8-mcq-q3-organic-syn

    What are the reagents and conditions required for step 2?

    • Hydrogen bromide

    • Aqueous ammonia

    • Acidified potassium dichromate(VI)

    • Excess ammonia in a sealed tube

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    41 mark

    Benzene can be nitrated to nitrobenzene by the electrophilic substitution of the nitronium ion onto the benzene ring. The nitronium ion is formed from concentrated nitric and concentrated sulfuric acid at around 50 oC.

    7-8-mcq-e-q4-organic-syn

    Which is the correct overall equation for the formation of the nitronium ion?

    • H2NO3+ + H2SO4 → NO2+ + HSO4- + H3O+ 

    • 2HNO3 + H2SO4  → 2NO2+ + HSO4- + H3O+

    • HNO3 + H2SO4 → H2NO3+ + HSO4-

    • HNO3 + 2H2SO4  → NO2+ + 2HSO4- + H3O+

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    51 mark

    Which of the following compounds can not be formed directly from an alcohol?

    • Amine

    • Ester

    • Alkene

    • Ketone

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    11 mark

    The following reaction sequence is missing two intermediates:

    3 carbon alkene     →     K     →     L    →      4 carbon amine

    What are the missing intermediate compounds, K and L?

    • alcohol and amide

    • alcohol and nitrile

    • dihalogenoalkane and alcohol

    • halogenoalkane and nitrile

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    21 mark

    Tartaric acid can occur naturally, for example in wine, and may be synthesised in the laboratory.

    The laboratory synthesis occurs in 2 steps:

     7-8-m-q2-aqa-al-chemistry-mcq

    Which reagents could be used for this synthesis?

     

    Step 1

    Step 2

    A

    B

    C

    D

    HCl (aq)

    H2SO4(aq)

    KCN (aq/alcoholic)

    HCN, NaCN (aq/alcoholic)

    HCN (g)

    K2Cr2O7 / H2SO4 (aq)

    K2Cr2O7 / H2SO4 (aq)

    H2SO4 (aq)

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      31 mark

      What is the type of reaction taking place in each step?

      7-8-m-q3-mcq-al-chemistry

       

      Step 1

      Step 2

      Step 3

      A

      addition

      substitution

      hydrogenation

      B

      acylation

      nitration

      reduction

      C

      substitution

      oxidation

      addition

      D

      acylation

      substitution

      hydrolysis

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        41 mark

        Propanone can be turned into 2-bromopropane in a three step synthesis via two intermediates:

         

                                    Step 1                          Step 2                    Step 3    

        propanone       →       propan-2-ol     →       propene      →       2-bromopropane

         

        The reagents for each step could be:

         

         

        Step 1

        Step 2

        Step 3

        A

        NaBH4

        Al2O3

        HBr

        B

        K2Cr2O7 / H2SO4

        Conc. NaOH

        HBr

        C

        H2O / H2SO4

        Al2O3

        Br2

        D

        NaBH4

        K2Cr2O7 / H2SO4

        HBr

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          51 mark

          Butylamine can be prepared in two steps from 1-bromopropane

          CH3CH2CH2Br  →    X    → CH3CH2CH2CH2NH2

          What is the structural formula of X?

          • CH3CH2CH2OH

          • CH3CH=CH2

          • CH3CH2CH2CN

          • CH3CH2CH2CHO

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          11 mark

          Propyl 4-aminobenzoate or risocaine is a local anesthetic that can be synthesised from 4-nitrobenzaldehyde via the following three step synthesis.

          nwnKtwWD_7-8-h-q1-mcq-aqa-al-chemistry

          Which row contains the correct molecular formulae of compounds X and Y?

           

          Compound X

          Compound Y

          A

          B

          C

          D

          C7H6NO3

          C7H6NO4

          C7H5NO4

          C7H5NO3

          C9H11NO4

          C10H11NO3

          C10H11NO4

          C9H11NO3

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            21 mark

            Methyl 2-methyl propenoate can be synthesised from propanone via the following four step synthesis.

            7-8-h-q2-mcq-aqa-al-chemistry

            Which type of reaction is involved in each of the steps?

             

            Step 1

            Step 2

            Step 3

            Step 4

            A

            Reduction

            Elimination

            Substitution

            Esterification

            B

            Addition

            Dehydration

            Hydrolysis

            Condensation

            C

            Addition

            Substitution

            Hydrolysis

            Esterification

            D

            Substitution

            Dehydration

            Acid-base

            Condensation

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              31 mark

              Mesalazine, C7H7NO3, can be synthesised from salicylic acid, C7H6O3, in a two step synthesis.

              Which row shows the correct reagents for two steps involved in the synthesis of mesalazine?

               

              Step 1

              Step 2

              A

              Sn + conc. HCl

              Conc. HNO3 / H2SO4

              B

              Conc. NH3

              Sn + conc. HCl

              C

              Conc. HNO3 / H2SO4

              LiAlH4 / dry ether

              D

              Conc. HNO3 / H2SO4

              Sn + conc. HCl

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                41 mark

                Which row contains the correct number of minimum steps to convert an aldehyde into the given compound?

                 

                Amide

                Primary amine

                Dihalogenoalkane

                A

                2 steps

                3 steps

                4 steps

                B

                4 steps

                2 steps

                3 steps

                C

                3 steps

                4 steps

                2 steps

                D

                2 steps

                4 steps

                3 steps

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                  51 mark

                  1-chloropropane can be used to produce an amine via two different synthetic routes, direct and indirect.

                  7-8-h-q5-mcq-aqa-al-chemistry

                  Which pair of statements about the direct route and the indirect route is not correct?

                   

                  Direct route

                  Indirect route

                  A

                  The reaction mechanism is nucleophilic substitution

                  The product is butylamine

                  B

                  The reaction mixture needs to be heated under pressure

                  The reaction mechanism of the first step is nucleophilic substitution

                  C

                  The product is propylamine

                  The reagent for the second step is LiAlH4 in dry ether

                  D

                  The reagent is conc. NH3

                  The product is propylamine

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