Question

1. Osmium tetroxide can be used to oxidize an alkene to a syn-glycol. A similar process for the reaction can happen by using potassium permanganate. Draw the osmate ester as well as the resulting ester from using potassium permanganate. The opposite of a syn-addition is an anti-addition. There are ways to produce an anti-glycol instead of a syn-glycol. Look up a way to do this. Write out the general reaction (reactant, reagents, products).

Answer 1

The reaction of syn-addition is as follows:

The reaction is called as syn-hydroxylation. Reactant-Alkene, Reagent-OsO₄/KMnO₄ + aq. NaHSO₄, Product-diol with Z-isomer.

Then anti-addition reaction is as follows:

The reaction is called as oxymercuration. Reactant-Alkene, Reagent-Hg(OAc)₂ + H₂O, Product-diol with E-isomer.