R3.4 - electron-pair sharing reactions Flashcards
What is a nucleophile?
A reactant that forms a bond to its reaction partner (electrophiles) by donating both electrons. They are electron-rich and tend to have a negative charge.
What are examples of neutral nucleophiles?
H2O, NH3, ROH, RNH2
What are examples of anionic nucleophiles?
OH-, F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, CN-, R-
What happens when nucleophiles donate electrons?
When nucleophiles donate electrons to other species, it forms a coordination bond, which is a covalent bond.
What occurs in nucleophilic substitution reactions?
A nucleophile donates an electron pair to form a new bond as another bond breaks, leaving a producing group as the nucleophiles are attached to the electron deficient atom.
What are some examples of nucleophilic substitution?
CH3Cl + OH- –> CH3OH + Cl-
C3H7Br + OH –> C3H7OH + Br-
What are the properties of halogenoalkanes?
- Polar compounds as the halogen atom is more electronegative than carbon, exerting a strong pull on the shared electrons in the carbon-halogen bond. This means that the halogen gains a partial negative charge and the carbon gains a partial positive charge and is said to be electron-deficient.
Why are halogenoalkanes useful?
They are useful intermediates within organic synthesis pathways as the halogens can be substituted by a wide variety of nucleophiles, so that halogenoalkanes can be converted into many different classes of compounds.
What is the overall reaction between a nucleophile and halogenoalkane?
Nucleophile + Substrate –> Electrophile + Leaving group
What is a leaving group?
For the nucleophile to donate an electron pair to the substrate and form a new bond, another bond must break, leaving a species break away (leaving group).
Why are halogens good leaving groups?
Halogens are good leaving groups as they form relatively weak bonds with C.
Why does a higher electronegativity make a halogen more susceptible to a nucleophilic attack?
A higher electronegativity means bonded electrons are drawn to the halogen atom, making the C electron-deficient.
What happens if the nucleophile reacts in a neutral species and what is the overall reaction?
If the nucleophile is a neutral species, the product formed from the substrate will be positively charged.
- However, it deprotonates and loses a H+ to give a neutral product.
- If the leaving group was a halide ion, this combines with H+ to form a hydrogen halide.
Overall equation = H2O + RX –> ROH + HX
What is heterolytic fission?
Breakage of a covalent bond when both bonding electrons remain with one of the 2 fragments, creating oppositely charged atoms, with an unequal assignment of electrons.
Which atoms gain a negative charge?
The most electronegative atom.
What are some examples of heterolytic fission?
Cl-Cl –> Cl+ + Cl-
H-Cl –> H+ and Cl-
What is the opposite process to heterolytic fission?
The opposite process occurs when a nucleophile donates a pair of electrons to an electrophile, forming a coordination bond.