Teaching organic redox reactions

Abstract

Organic redox reactions are one of the most difficult topics to teach and learn. Various difficulties of the ‘redox reactions’ topic presented in literature [1]. In main part of them authors showed difficulties related to teaching and learning redox reactions. Main difficulties are due to predicting the products of redox reaction, understanding the meaning and assigning of oxidation numbers, identifying reactants as oxidizing or reducing agents, identifying the numbers of gained or lost electrons in a redox reaction; understandingstoichiometry in the electron transfer process, balancing a redox reaction, understanding the mutual dependence of oxidation and reduction reactions etc. All these difficulties fully organized in learning organic redox reactions. In addition of shown above, determination of oxidation state of each carbon atom before and after redox, correct compilation of reaction balance are specified obstructions of topic.