Lecture 9 and 11. Basic Mechanisms and Stereochemistry Flashcards
What is a saturated carbon ?
Has bonds to four different atoms
What happens in a nucleophilic substitution reaction ?
One of the atoms or groups bound to a carbon is replaced by another
What are the two types of mechanisms for nucleophilic substitution reactions ?
- Stepwise
2. Simultaneous
What does Sn1 mechanism mean ?
Stepwise reaction
What are the kinetics of a stepwise mechanism ?
Unimolecular
What is meant by unimolecular ?
An elementary reaction in which the rearrangement of a single molecule produces one or more molecules of product
What does the stepwise mechanism rate depend on ?
The electrophile only
What is the rate equation for a stepwise mechanism ?
r = k[R - X]
What type of reaction is the stepwise mechanism ?
1st order reaction
What is a first order reaction ?
Concentration depends on only one reactant
Would you describe a stepwise mechanism a nucleophilic or electrophilic reaction ?
Nucleophilic
What is the rate limiting step of a stepwise mechanism ?
Slow, reversible dissociation of leaving group to form carbocation
What has no effect on the rate of the stepwise process ?
Adding more nucleophiles
In a stepwise mechanism, what is the formation of the cation followed by ?
Relatively fast attack by nucleophile
How can we show the Gibbs free energy change over the course of a reaction ?
A reaction coodinate diagram
What is a transition state ?
They are not stable species and cannot be isolated
What type of kinetics are simultaneous ?
Bimolecular
What is a bimolecular kinetic ?
The chemical combination of two molecular entities in a reaction that is either reversible or irreversible
What is the rate equation for a simultaneous mechanism ?
r = k[R - X][Nu]
What are simultaneous mechanisms rates dependent on ?
Electrophile and nucleophiles
What type of reactions are simultaneous mechanisms ?
2nd order
What features in the rate limiting step of the simultaneous mechanism ?
Nucleophiles and electrophiles
What does not feature in the simultaneous mechanism ?
Intermediate species
What angle does the nucleophile attack at in a simultaneous reaction ?
180
What do stepwise reactions proceed via ?
Carbocation intermediates
What will speed up a stepwise mechanism ?
Structural features which stabilise carbocations
What do factors that stabilise a chemical species also stabilise ?
The transition states that lead to and from the stabilisation of the chemical species
What does the stabilisation of the cation also lower ?
The activation energy
What are tertiary carbocations well - stabilised by ?
Hyperconjugation
What is hyperconjugation ?
The donation of electron density from aligned C-H or C-C bonds
When does a stepwise mechanism become more favorable ?
More groups binding to the reacting carbon
What is a simultaneous reaction sensitive to ?
Steric hindrance
What is steric hindrance ?
Other atoms getting in the way
What does the increasing steric hindrance block in a simultaneous reaction ?
The approach of the nucleophile at 180 degrees
What is the only mechanism for tertiary centres ?
Stepwise mechanism
What is the only mechanism for substitution at methyl and primary centres ?
Simultaneous mechanisms