Fischer esterification
carboxylic acid + alcohol → ester
An acid and an alcohol give an ester and water under acid catalysis.
MolDraw › Chemistry tools › Name Reaction Finder
Name Reaction Finder
In short: Pick the group you start from and the group you want, or type a reagent. You get the matching named reactions, each with its full curly-arrow mechanism that opens in MolDraw. 47 reactions are included.
Useful for organic synthesis problems, conversion questions in JEE and NEET, and revision: every card shows the reagents, the exam level and links to a step-by-step mechanism.
Quick answer: To turn an amide into an amine with one carbon fewer, use the Hofmann bromamide reaction (Br₂, NaOH). For phenol → salicylaldehyde, use Reimer–Tiemann (CHCl₃, NaOH).
47 reactions
Grignard addition to a ketone
ketone + aldehyde + alkyl halide → alcohol
An organomagnesium reagent adds to C=O; acid work-up gives the alcohol.
Michael addition
α,β-unsaturated carbonyl + ketone + ester → 1,5-dicarbonyl
Conjugate (1,4-) addition of an enolate to an enone.
Diels–Alder reaction
alkene → alkene
A concerted [4+2] cycloaddition: three arrows, one step.
Friedel–Crafts acylation
arene + acid chloride → ketone
Acylium ion formation, attack by the ring, restoration of aromaticity.
Claisen condensation
ester → β-keto ester
Ester enolate attacks a second ester; methoxide is expelled.
Friedel–Crafts alkylation
arene + alkyl halide → arene
AlCl₃ turns an alkyl halide into a carbocation that alkylates the ring.
Cannizzaro reaction
aldehyde → alcohol + carboxylic acid
An aldehyde with no α-H disproportionates in strong base: one is oxidised, one reduced.
Williamson ether synthesis
alcohol + phenol + alkyl halide → ether
An alkoxide or phenoxide displaces a halide from a methyl or primary alkyl halide (SN2).
Kolbe–Schmitt reaction
phenol → carboxylic acid
Phenoxide carboxylates at the ortho position with CO₂ under pressure.
Hofmann bromamide reaction
amide → amine
A primary amide loses its carbonyl carbon to give an amine with one carbon fewer.
Reimer–Tiemann reaction
phenol → aldehyde
Dichlorocarbene from chloroform formylates a phenoxide at the ortho position.
Wittig reaction
aldehyde + ketone → alkene
A phosphorus ylide turns C=O into C=C; Ph₃P=O is the driving force.
Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction
aldehyde → α,β-unsaturated carbonyl
A phosphonate carbanion makes an E-α,β-unsaturated ester.
Baeyer–Villiger oxidation
ketone → ester
A peroxyacid inserts an oxygen next to the carbonyl: ketone → ester.
Beckmann rearrangement
oxime + ketone → amide
An oxime rearranges to an amide; the group anti to OH migrates.
Pinacol rearrangement
1,2-diol → ketone
A 1,2-diol loses water and a group shifts: the diol becomes a ketone.
Wolff–Kishner reduction
ketone + aldehyde → alkane
Hydrazone + strong base at high temperature: C=O becomes CH₂ with loss of N₂.
Robinson annulation
ketone + α,β-unsaturated carbonyl → α,β-unsaturated carbonyl
Michael addition then intramolecular aldol condensation: a new six-membered ring.
Mannich reaction
ketone + aldehyde + amine → β-amino ketone
An enol attacks an iminium ion from an amine and formaldehyde: a β-amino ketone.
Knoevenagel condensation
aldehyde + nitrile + ester → alkene + α,β-unsaturated carbonyl
An active methylene compound condenses with an aldehyde under mild base.
Dieckmann condensation
ester → β-keto ester
An intramolecular Claisen condensation: a diester closes to a cyclic β-keto ester.
Benzoin condensation
aldehyde → α-hydroxy ketone
Cyanide reverses the polarity of an aldehyde carbon (umpolung).
Hell–Volhard–Zelinsky reaction
carboxylic acid → α-halo acid
α-Bromination of a carboxylic acid through its acyl bromide enol.
Gabriel synthesis
alkyl halide + imide → amine
Phthalimide as a protected NH₂: primary amines without over-alkylation.
Strecker synthesis
aldehyde → α-amino acid + nitrile
Aldehyde + ammonia + cyanide: an α-aminonitrile, then an α-amino acid.
Swern oxidation
alcohol → aldehyde + ketone
DMSO activated by oxalyl chloride oxidises an alcohol to an aldehyde at −78 °C.
Haloform (iodoform) reaction
ketone + alcohol → carboxylic acid
A methyl ketone is triiodinated in base, then cleaved to a carboxylate and CHI₃.
Claisen rearrangement
ether → aldehyde + ketone + phenol
A [3,3]-sigmatropic shift of allyl vinyl or allyl aryl ethers.
Cope rearrangement
alkene → alkene
The all-carbon [3,3]-sigmatropic shift of a 1,5-diene, and the anionic oxy-Cope.
Curtius rearrangement
acid chloride + carboxylic acid → carbamate / isocyanate + amine
An acyl azide loses N₂ and rearranges to an isocyanate, trapped as a carbamate.
Hydroboration–oxidation
alkene → alcohol
Anti-Markovnikov, syn addition of H and OH across C=C.
Prilezhaev epoxidation
alkene → epoxide
A peroxyacid transfers one oxygen to C=C in a single “butterfly” step.
Michaelis–Arbuzov reaction
alkyl halide → phosphonate
A trialkyl phosphite and an alkyl halide give a phosphonate.
Appel reaction
alcohol → alkyl halide
PPh₃ and CBr₄ turn an alcohol into an alkyl bromide under neutral conditions.
Mitsunobu reaction
alcohol + carboxylic acid → ester
PPh₃ and DEAD activate an alcohol for SN2 by a carboxylate, with inversion.
Stork enamine alkylation
ketone + alkyl halide → ketone
An enamine is a neutral enolate equivalent: C-alkylation, then hydrolysis.
Corey–Chaykovsky epoxidation
ketone + aldehyde → epoxide
A sulfur ylide adds to C=O and closes to an epoxide (not an alkene).
Favorskii rearrangement
α-halo ketone → carboxylic acid + ester
An α-halo ketone in base contracts through a cyclopropanone.
Ozonolysis
alkene → aldehyde + ketone
Ozone cleaves C=C to two carbonyl groups (Criegee mechanism).
Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction
aldehyde + α,β-unsaturated carbonyl → alcohol + α,β-unsaturated carbonyl
An amine catalyst couples an acrylate to an aldehyde at the α-carbon.
Benzilic acid rearrangement
1,2-diketone → α-hydroxy acid
A 1,2-diketone and hydroxide give an α-hydroxy acid.
Azo coupling
diazonium salt + phenol + amine → azo compound
A diazonium ion attacks an activated ring: azo dyes.
Schotten–Baumann reaction
amine + acid chloride + alcohol + phenol → amide + ester
Acylation of an amine by an acyl chloride in aqueous base.
Hofmann elimination
amine + quaternary ammonium salt → alkene
A quaternary ammonium hydroxide eliminates to the less substituted alkene.
Diazotisation
amine → diazonium salt
Aniline + nitrous acid at 0–5 °C: the arenediazonium ion.
Sandmeyer reaction
diazonium salt + amine → aryl halide + nitrile
Copper(I) replaces N₂⁺ by Cl, Br or CN through an aryl radical.
No named reaction matches these filters. Try "Any" for one of the groups.
How to use the name reaction finder
- Choose the functional group you start from, the group you want to make, or both.
- Narrow down with a reaction type (oxidation, rearrangement, C–C bond formation…) or the exam level.
- Or type a reagent such as NaOH, AlCl₃ or mCPBA.
- Click Open mechanism in MolDraw to see every curly-arrow step and edit it, or read the reaction guide.
Most-asked conversions in JEE and NEET
| Conversion | Name reaction | Reagents |
|---|---|---|
| Amide → amine (one C fewer) | Hofmann bromamide | Br₂, NaOH |
| Phenol → salicylaldehyde | Reimer–Tiemann | CHCl₃, NaOH |
| Phenol → salicylic acid | Kolbe | NaOH, CO₂, 400 K, pressure |
| Aniline → chlorobenzene / benzonitrile | Sandmeyer | NaNO₂/HCl 0–5 °C; CuCl or CuCN |
| Alkyl halide → primary amine | Gabriel | potassium phthalimide; N₂H₄ |
| Alkyl halide + alkoxide → ether | Williamson | RONa + R′X (SN2) |
| Ketone → alkane (C=O → CH₂) | Wolff–Kishner | N₂H₄, KOH, glycol, heat |
| Aldehyde (no α-H) → alcohol + acid salt | Cannizzaro | conc. NaOH |
| Carboxylic acid → α-bromo acid | HVZ | Br₂, red P |
| Methyl ketone → acid + CHI₃ | Iodoform (haloform) | I₂, NaOH |
| Alkene → anti-Markovnikov alcohol | Hydroboration–oxidation | BH₃; H₂O₂, NaOH |
| Alkene → aldehydes / ketones | Ozonolysis | O₃; Zn/H₂O |
Draw it properly. Open the structure in the free MolDraw editor to add wedges, arrows and labels, then export a PNG or SVG for notes and slides.
Open full MolDraw editorFrequently asked questions
What is a name reaction?
An organic reaction known by the name of the chemist who discovered or developed it, such as the Wittig, Cannizzaro or Hofmann reaction.
How do I find a reaction that converts one group into another?
Choose the starting group and the product group in the finder. It lists every named reaction that makes that conversion, with reagents and mechanism.
Which name reactions are important for JEE and NEET?
Reimer–Tiemann, Kolbe, Hofmann bromamide, Sandmeyer, Gabriel, Williamson, Cannizzaro, Wolff–Kishner, HVZ, iodoform, Friedel–Crafts, diazotisation and azo coupling, hydroboration and ozonolysis. Filter by "JEE/NEET" to see them.
Can I see the mechanism of each reaction?
Yes. Every card opens the full mechanism in MolDraw, with each curly-arrow step checked electron by electron. You can edit it and export it.
Is the name reaction finder free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no sign-up.
Related chemistry tools
Last updated: