Chemistry Reactions and Mechanisms

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to substitution and elimination reactions in organic chemistry.

S1 Reaction

A substitution reaction where the rate-determining step involves a carbocation formation.

S2 Reaction

A substitution reaction that occurs in one concerted step, involving both nucleophile and electrophile.

Nucleophile

A species that donates an electron pair to form a chemical bond in reaction.

Leaving Group

A group that can depart with a pair of electrons in a substitution or elimination reaction.

Electrophile

A reactive species that accepts an electron pair from a nucleophile.

Elimination Reactions

Reactions where two substituents are removed from a molecule, creating a double bond.

E1 Reaction

An elimination reaction that involves the formation of a carbocation intermediate.

E2 Reaction

An elimination reaction that occurs in one concerted step, simultaneous bond formation and breaking.

Carbocation

A positively charged carbon atom, which is a key intermediate in many organic reactions.

Zaitsev's Rule

A guideline stating that the more substituted alkene will be the major product in elimination reactions.

Anti-Zaitsev

A product formed from elimination reactions where the least substituted alkene is favored.

Protic Solvent

A solvent that has an acidic hydrogen, influencing reaction mechanisms.

Aprotic Solvent

A solvent that does not donate protons, often used to increase nucleophile strength.

Tertiary Carbocation

A carbocation where the positively charged carbon is bonded to three other carbon atoms.

Aldehyde

An organic compound containing a carbonyl group bonded to at least one hydrogen atom.

Alkene

A hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond.

Trap in Mechanism

A situation in which intermediates form during a reaction toward final products.

Resonance

A way to represent a molecule where two or more structures can describe the same compound.