Functional Groups Flashcards
What is an electrophile and nucleophile?
Electrophile~ positively charged species or empty atomic orbital
Nucleophile~ negatively charged species or lone pair electrons
What is the difference between SN1 and SN2?
SN1 - 2 step reaction; only [electrophile] affects rate
SN2 - 1 step reaction; increasing [electrophile] and [nucleophile] increases RoR.
Why are tertiary carbocations good for SN1 reactions?
Because they are more stable due to hyperconjugation (interaction between adjacent orbitals in molecule)
ie. Stable intermediate
What is the stereochemical result of SN1 and SN2 reactions?
SN1 ~ forms racemic mixture if contains chiral centre
SN2 ~ inverts stereochemistry
What drives SN1 reactions?
~Steric hinderance
~Hyper-conjugation of carbocation
What’s the difference between Markovnikov and Anti-Markovnikov addition?
Markovnikov - cation mediated
Anti-Markovnikov - free radical
Why is methanol more acidic than ethanol?
The smaller alkyl group allows for greater solvation and therefore more stability as a conjugate base.
