Predict products, mechanisms, and reaction types for any organic transformation using advanced rule-based logic covering all 118 elements, their oxidation states, ionic forms, and coordination chemistry.
Foundational theory every chemist must know
An organic reaction is any chemical transformation involving organic compounds (those containing carbon–hydrogen bonds). These reactions involve breaking and forming covalent bonds through well-defined mechanistic pathways governed by electron movement, orbital overlap, and thermodynamics.
A reaction mechanism is a step-by-step description of how a reaction proceeds — showing which bonds break, which bonds form, the sequence of intermediates (carbocations, carbanions, radicals), and the transition states involved at each step.
A nucleophile is an electron-rich species that donates electrons to form bonds (e.g., OH⁻, NH₃, CN⁻). An electrophile is an electron-deficient species that accepts electrons (e.g., carbocations, carbonyl carbons, halogens).
Thermodynamic control favors the most stable product (ΔG most negative). Kinetic control favors the fastest-forming product (lowest activation energy, Ea). Temperature and reaction time determine which regime dominates.
Enter reactant, reagent & conditions — get full prediction with mechanism
Composition, Oxidation, and scientific notation
All major reaction categories with examples
| Reaction Type | Class | Key Reagents | Example | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SN2 | Substitution | Strong Nu⁻ (NaOH, NaCN, NaN₃) | CH₃Br + OH⁻ → CH₃OH + Br⁻ | Polar aprotic, 1° substrate |
| SN1 | Substitution | Weak Nu (H₂O, ROH) | (CH₃)₃CBr + H₂O → (CH₃)₃COH | Polar protic, 3° substrate |
| E2 | Elimination | Strong base (KOH/EtOH) | CH₃CH₂Br + KOH → CH₂=CH₂ | Conc. base, heat |
| E1 | Elimination | Weak base, heat | (CH₃)₃CBr →Δ (CH₃)₂C=CH₂ | Dilute base, high T |
| Electrophilic Addition | Addition | HX, X₂, H₂SO₄ | CH₂=CH₂ + HBr → CH₃CH₂Br | Room temp, Markovnikov |
| Nucleophilic Addition | Addition | RMgX, LiAlH₄, NaBH₄ | RCHO + RMgBr → RR'CHOH | Anhydrous, then H₂O work-up |
| Electrophilic Aromatic Sub. (EAS) | Substitution | HNO₃/H₂SO₄, X₂/FeBr₃ | C₆H₆ + HNO₃ → C₆H₅NO₂ | Acid catalyst |
| Nucleophilic Acyl Sub. | Substitution | ROH, RNH₂, H₂O | RCOCl + ROH → RCOOR' | Base, anhydrous |
| Aldol Condensation | Addition | NaOH (cat), enol/enolate | 2CH₃CHO → CH₃CH(OH)CH₂CHO | Aqueous base, low T |
| Claisen Condensation | Addition | NaOEt, ester enolate | 2RCOOEt → RCOCHRCOOEt | EtOH/NaOEt |
| Oxidation (Primary Alcohol) | Oxidation | KMnO₄, PCC, CrO₃ | RCH₂OH → RCHO or RCOOH | Acidic/neutral |
| Reduction (Carbonyl) | Reduction | LiAlH₄, NaBH₄, H₂/Pd | RCHO → RCH₂OH | Anhydrous THF |
| Diels-Alder | Cycloaddition | Diene + dienophile | Butadiene + ethylene → cyclohexene | Thermal, [4+2] |
| Grignard Reaction | Addition | RMgX in dry ether | RMgBr + RCHO → RR'CHOH | Anhydrous, then H₃O⁺ |
| Fischer Esterification | Substitution | H₂SO₄ (cat), ROH | RCOOH + R'OH ⇌ RCOOR' + H₂O | Acid cat., reflux, equil. |
| Wittig Reaction | Addition | Ph₃P=CR₂ (ylide) | RCHO + Ph₃P=CH₂ → RCH=CH₂ | Anhydrous, base |
Step-by-step guide with logic explanations and real examples
Type the starting organic compound using its IUPAC name, common name, molecular formula, or SMILES notation. The smart parser will normalise all formats.
Tip: Use SMILES for precise structures (e.g., C(=O)c1ccccc1 for benzaldehyde).
Enter the reagent or reagent mixture. You can use element symbols, compound formulas, or common lab names. Separate multiple reagents with commas.
The engine recognises 300+ reagent patterns including organometallics, Lewis acids, and transition metal catalysts.
Click one or more preset condition buttons (heat, acidic, UV, etc.) or type a custom condition. Conditions are critical — the same reactant + reagent can give different products under different conditions!
You can combine conditions: "Heat + acidic" will trigger dehydration logic.
The output panel shows: Product(s), Reaction Type, Mechanism (step-by-step), SMILES/Structure, and a confidence score. Each field is colour-coded.
Enter concentrations, scientific notation, or molecular expressions in the parser to convert them. Supports subscript/superscript normalisation and molarity calculations.
Why organic chemistry drives science and industry
Illustrated with SN2, E2, EAS & Grignard examples
12 detailed worked examples across major reaction classes
Real-world research scenarios where reaction prediction is essential
16 detailed answers about organic reactions and this tool