UK Chemistry Olympiad

Organic synthesis and ambergris substitutes | Chemistry Olympiad worked answers

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A lump of yellowy ambergris on wet, coarse sand; the ambergris is casting a small shadow

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Delve into the synthesis of Ambrox®, a substitute for ambergris in perfume, with this Chemistry Olympiad worked example question. Includes video walkthrough and transcript.

In this question from the 2010 UK Chemistry Olympiad round one paper, students read about ambergris and its synthetic substitute, Ambrox®, before focusing on a proposed method of synthesising Ambrox® from a tree bark extract. They calculate the number of moles of Ambrox® produced each year, draw the structures of a range of compounds and calculate percentage yield. The accompanying video walkthrough is designed to help students if they get stuck or want to check their working.

The question is of moderate difficulty, and covers the following chemistry topics:

  • Mole calculations
  • Organic synthesis
  • Yield calculations

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