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UPSC Civil Services (Mains)

Chemistry optional

  • 2 papers
  • 250 marks each
  • 3 h per paper
  • 5 of 8 questions, Q1 and Q5 compulsory

Paper II covers organic chemistry and spectroscopy.

UPSC Civil Services (Mains), Chemistry optional · 2022 · Paper II

Q6(a)(i). Photolysis of a mixture of valerophenone and 5,5-dideuteriohexan-2-one

Question

Predict the products in the following reactions: a mixture of valerophenone and 5,5-dideuteriohexan-2-one is irradiated (hν). Propose suitable mechanism to justify your answer. [structures given in the paper]

Answer in brief

Each ketone cleaves by its own Norrish type II reaction: valerophenone gives acetophenone + propene; the labelled ketone gives CH₃COCH₂D + CH₂=CD–CH₃; no deuterium crosses over, so γ-hydrogen transfer is intramolecular.

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The full model answer

As written for the answer booklet: the diagram carries the working, the lines stay short. Read here only; it is not offered as a download.

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CoversNorrish type IIcrossover experimentdeuterium labellingγ-hydrogen abstraction1,4-biradicalvalerophenone