Chapter 3 - Overview of Mechanisms 2022
Chapter 3 - Overview of Mechanisms 2022
Chapter 3 - Overview of Mechanisms 2022
AN OVERVIEW OF
COMMON MECHANISMS
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Based on the way bond forming and breaking
Bond-breaking reaction → homolysis, heterolysis
Symmetrical bond-
breaking → radical
Unsymmetrical bond-
breaking → polar
Symmetrical bond-
forming → radical
Unsymmetrical bond-
forming → polar 4
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Unimolecular reaction: one molecule is involved in the rate-determining step
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Radical reactions
Chemical reactions that involve free-radicals
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Radical substitution of alkane
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Polar reactions
Polar reactions occur because of the electrical attraction between
positively polarized (Electrophile) and negatively polarized
(Nucleophile) centers on functional groups in molecules.
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Nucleophile, electrophile
Nucleophile (Greek - nucleus loving) : characterized by its ability to react
with a positive charge or partial positive charge
Nucleophilic center: capable of donating a pair of electrons - may be
atoms possessing a localized lone pair, s bond, p bond.
Nucleophiles can be either neutral or negatively charged
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Electrophile (Geek - electron loving): characterized by its ability to react
with a negative charge or partial negative charge.
Electrophilic center: an electron-deficient atom with an empty
atomic orbital or a low-energy antibonding orbital, can form a bond by
accepting a pair of electrons from a nucleophile.
Electrophiles can be either neutral or positively charged
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Electrons move from a Nucleophile to an Electrophile
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Formal charge
Formal charge is the charge assigned to individual atoms in a Lewis
structure.
Formal charges provide a method for keeping track of electrons, but
they may or may not correspond to real charges.
O: FC = 6 – (1 e bonding +
6e non bonding) = -1
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CH4 C : FC = 4 – 4e bonding = 0
H: FC = 1 – 1e bonding = 0
NH4
N: FC = 5 – 4e bonding = +1
NH3-BH3
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Common bonding patterns in organic compounds and ions
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D.1.13. Determine formal charge in following structures
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L. 1.6
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Curved arrow in polar reaction mechanisms
1. Curly arrow represents the actual movement of a pair of electrons
from an Nucleophile (Nu:)to an Electrophile (E).
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2. Charge is conserved in each step of a reaction
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M1
3. The octet rule must be followed.
→ no second-row atom can be left with ten electrons (or four for
hydrogen).
→ If an electron pair moves to an atom that already has an octet (or
two for hydrogen), another electron pair must simultaneously move
from that atom to maintain the octet.
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M1
Mc.6.22. Add curved arrows to the following polar reactions to indicate the
flow of electrons in each:
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Mc.6.23. Follow the flow of electrons indicated by the curved arrows in each of the
following polar reactions, and predict the products that result:
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Mc. 6.39. Identify the bonds broken and formed in each step of the reaction, and
draw curved arrows to represent the flow of electrons in each step
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Mc.6.41. Predict the product(s) of each of the following biological reactions by
interpreting the flow of electrons as indicated by the curved arrows
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SOME COMMON REACTION MECHANISMS
Nucleophilic Substitution SN
Radical Substitution SR
Electrophilic addition AE
Addition
Nucleophilic addition AN
Elimination 34
Nuclephilic substitution SN
The characteristic reaction of alkyl halides
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Electrophilic substitution SE
The characteristic reaction of aromatic compounds
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Radical substitution SR
The characteristic reaction of alkanes
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Electrophilic addition AE
The characteristic reaction of unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes,
alkynes, alkadienes)
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Nucleophilic addition AN
The characteristic reaction of carbonyl compounds
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Elimination reactions (E)
The characteristic reaction of alkyl halides to prepare alkenes
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