Skip to main content
Back

SN1 Reaction definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • SN1 Mechanism
    A two-step substitution process involving a neutral nucleophile and formation of a carbocation intermediate.
  • Carbocation
    A positively charged carbon species with three bonds, sp2 hybridization, and trigonal planar geometry.
  • Intermediate
    A distinct, isolatable species formed between steps of a reaction, unlike a fleeting transition state.
  • Leaving Group
    An atom or group, often a halogen, that departs from the substrate, enabling carbocation formation.
  • Nucleophile
    A neutral molecule with electron pairs that attacks electrophilic centers, often a solvent in this context.
  • Unimolecular Kinetics
    A rate law dependent solely on substrate concentration, reflecting the slow, carbocation-forming step.
  • Racemization
    The creation of a 1:1 mixture of enantiomers due to planar intermediate allowing attack from either side.
  • Solvolysis
    A reaction where the solvent acts as the nucleophile, commonly observed in this substitution process.
  • Tertiary Alkyl Halide
    A substrate with three alkyl groups attached to the carbon bearing the leaving group, favoring carbocation stability.
  • Rate-Determining Step
    The slowest stage in a reaction sequence, here being the dissociation to form a carbocation.
  • Trigonal Planar Geometry
    A flat, three-bonded arrangement around a central atom, characteristic of carbocation intermediates.
  • Substitution Product
    The final molecule formed when a nucleophile replaces a leaving group on the substrate.
  • Transition State
    A high-energy, non-isolatable configuration; in this mechanism, replaced by a true intermediate.
  • Alkyl Group
    A hydrocarbon fragment attached to the reactive center, increasing carbocation stability with greater substitution.
  • First-Order Reaction
    A process where the reaction rate depends linearly on the concentration of only one reactant.