im doing a home chemistry hobby ever since finished gen chem I and II and organic chem I and II

at first i did a lot of fischer esterifications and built up a collection of fragrant esters, but i have to redo the large esters like nonyl acetate b/c i realized you have to react the alcohol to completion (Dean stark technique) to avoid contamination with 1-nonanol.

well while i wait for a dean stark trap to come in the mail, i'm working on doing the grignard reaction at home. I just made some hydrobromic acid from sodium bromide pool tablets, so i can convert alcohols to alkyl bromides.

i think i'm gonna start by making isopropyl bromide from isopropyl alcohol. i just got diethyl ether and propionaldehyde, still waiting for magnesium turnings. then i can react grignard reagents with acetone and propionaldehyde to make a lot of cool alcohols and discover their scents for myself

When working with alkyl bromides, you have to do it outside and wear a respirator and gloves, because they might be carcinogenic.