Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
pKa and Acid-Base Strength
pKa is a quantitative measure of the strength of an acid in solution; it is the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation constant (Ka). A lower pKa value indicates a stronger acid, which means it more readily donates protons. In the context of bases, a base can effectively deprotonate an acid if the pKa of the acid is higher than the pKa of the conjugate acid of the base.
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Terminal Alkynes
Terminal alkynes are hydrocarbons that contain a triple bond between two carbon atoms, with one of the carbons at the end of the chain. They are unique in that the hydrogen atom attached to the terminal carbon can be removed by a strong base, resulting in the formation of an acetylide ion. This ion is a key intermediate in various organic reactions, including nucleophilic substitutions.
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Anti-Markovnikov addition of alcohols to terminal alkynes yields aldehydes
Conjugate Acid-Base Pairs
In acid-base chemistry, a conjugate acid is formed when a base accepts a proton (H+), while a conjugate base is what remains after an acid donates a proton. Understanding the relationship between conjugate acids and bases is crucial for predicting the direction of acid-base reactions. The strength of a base is often assessed by the pKa of its conjugate acid, guiding whether it can effectively deprotonate a given acid.
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