A student I am tutoring has asked me to help him formulate a synthesis

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around formulating a synthesis pathway for the compound N-ethylpent-4-enoate. Participants are exploring the structural formula and existence of the compound, as well as potential synthesis methods based on limited information.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in determining the structural formula for N-ethylpent-4-enoate, suggesting a possible oversight.
  • Another participant points out that the presence of "N" typically indicates a nitrogen attachment, which is absent in the provided structure, leading to the conclusion that the compound may not exist or the formula is incomplete.
  • A third participant references a previous online discussion that reached a similar conclusion about the compound's existence and expresses skepticism about the student's claims of having a synthesis pathway.
  • A participant shares a proposed structural formula but questions its correctness.
  • Another participant identifies the proposed structure as N-ethylpent-4-enamide, indicating a potential misunderstanding of the compound's identity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the confusion surrounding the compound's existence and structural formula, but multiple competing views remain regarding its synthesis and the validity of the student's claims.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the accuracy of the compound name and the structural formula, as well as the validity of the synthesis pathway claimed by the student.

mike.bayville
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
A student I am tutoring has asked me to help him formulate a synthesis pathway for the compound N-ethylpent-4-enoate.

I have spent countless hours trying to determine the structural formula for this compound without success.

I must be missing something so obvious... Like leaves in a forest!

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.



Mike
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org


The big "N" means usually that the ethyl is bound to a nitrogen in the rest of the structure, however there is none. So this compound either does not exist or the formula you or your student provided is incomplete.
 


I agree with you!

As a matter of fact, a Google search resulted in essentially one hit from 3 months ago on answers.yahoo.com and the person answering a question regarding the structural diagram of N-ethylpent-4-enoate came to the same conclusion you did.

Now, when I asked the student yesterday to ask his teacher today to confirm the compound name, while I was on hold he claimed to have contacted some other classmates who had successfully produced a synthesis pathway to N-ethylpent-4-enoate from ethane and pentane using "only small molecules and no other organic compounds" per the teacher's instructions.

I am beginning to wonder if he is pulling my leg?

I have to figure some way to get him to ask his teacher or just tell him I cannot help him... I do not know what else to do!
 


A friend suggested the following formula, but it does not look right to me...

CH3-CH2-NH-O-C(=O)-CH2-CH2-CH=CH2

Any thoughts?
 


The molecule you were drawing is N-ethylpent-4-enamide
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
8K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
5K
  • · Replies 76 ·
3
Replies
76
Views
9K
Replies
5
Views
9K
Replies
2
Views
7K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
9K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
16K
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
20K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K