Chemistry · Alkyl Halides and Amines
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Which of the following is an intermediate compound in SN1:
- A
Ethoxide ion
- B
Alkyl halide
- C
Alkene
- D
Carbocation
The product of step 1, carbocation, will be the reactant of the next step and is called the intermediate for the SN1 reaction. Intermediate is the unstable, highly-reactive specie with a very short lifetime. The carbocation intermediate is in trigonal planar shape, with the empty 2p orbital particular to the plane.
The ethoxide, which is an ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) deprotonated by a base, does not directly form a carbocation intermediate in an SN1 reaction.
In an SN1 reaction, the alkyl halide undergoes a unimolecular nucleophilic substitution, where the leaving group departs, forming a carbocation intermediate. The carbocation intermediate is then attacked by the nucleophile to complete the substitution reaction.
An alkene does not typically undergo an SN1 reaction because the reaction mechanism requires the formation of a carbocation intermediate, which is not generated during the course of alkene reactions.
The product of step 1, carbocation, will be the reactant of the next step and is called the intermediate for the SN1 reaction. Intermediate is the unstable, highly-reactive species with a very short lifetime. The carbocation intermediate is in trigonal planar shape, with the empty 2p orbital particular to the plane.
Tagged under Chemistry · Alkyl Halides and Amines · 2017