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The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 30
(2025) pp 25-28
Mechanism Prediction Based on Structural Features of Reactants
Brian E. Love
Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, loveb@ecu.edu
Received November 2, 2024. Accepted February 25, 2025.
Published: 3 March 2025
Abstract. A method is presented for assisting students in the prediction of the products formed upon reaction of alkyl halides (or similar electrophiles) with nucleophilic and basic species. The reactants are characterized according to five considerations and these characteristics are then used to predict the dominant reaction mechanism that will be followed. Knowledge of the favored mechanism then allows prediction of the structure of the product.
Key Words: Of Special Interest; organic chemistry; mechanism prediction; substitution; elimination
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: loveb@ecu.edu)
Article in PDF format(114 KB) HTML format
Supporting Materials: The handout provided to students is included (186 KB)
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