Elimination reactions reaction mechanisms

When the addition and elimination reactions are mechanically reversible, they proceed by identical mechanistic paths but in opposite directions. In these circumstances, mechanistic conclusions about the addition reaction are applicable to the elimination reaction and vice versa. The principle of microscopic reversibility states that the mechanism (pathway) traversed in a reversible reaction is the same in the reverse as in the forward direction. Thus, if an addition-elimination system proceeds by a reversible mechanism, the intermediates and transition states involved in the addition process are the same as... 

As was the case with nucleophilic substitution reactions, there are two mechanisms for these elimination reactions. One mechanism is concerted and parallels the SN2 reaction, whereas the other involves the formation of a carbocation intermediate and parallels the SN1 reaction. The concerted mechanism is discussed first. 

The chain scission can be seen as a pyrolytic elimination reaction. All mechanisms described in Section 2.2 may take place during chain scission. A reaction of chain scission with a cyclic transition state may take place, for example, during cellulose pyrolysis ... 

The synthesis of 4 -thioxy loadcnosine 126, described in the pioneering work by Reist et has been improved" by direct glycosylation of V-benzoyladenine with the 1,4-dithio-D-xylofuranoside 123 in the presence of V-iodosuccinimide and catalytic triflic acid, followed by deprotection. Based on the ratio of isomers obtained (a -.ft 20 34) an iodium ion-promoted elimination-addition reaction mechanism has been proposed, as outlined in Scheme 35. 

This is of course a specific instance of the iterative process we associate with the scientific method. The postulated mechanisms surviving this process can be considered consistent with the experimental data. Kinetics provides a powerful method for eliminating putative reaction mechanisms, but kinetic methods alone can never establish a mechanism unambiguously. Other chemical and physical methods can be of help in this regard, but it must be acknowledged that all our models, at some level, are tentative and subject to revision. In practice, one must accept a certain amount of ambiguity, but for many, if not most, applications this is not crucial. 

Attack on the intermediate mercurinium ion by some nucleophilic species yields the olefin to complete the elimination. This reaction mechanism is essentially the reverse of oxymercuration. 

Figure 3-4. a) The reaction site of an elimination reaction. The bonds to be broken are crossed through, and the bonds to be made are drawn with heavy lines, b) to d) The three mechanisms to achieve this reaction,... 

Note that for 4.42, in which no intramolecular base catalysis is possible, the elimination side reaction is not observed. This result supports the mechanism suggested in Scheme 4.13. Moreover, at pH 2, where both amine groups of 4.44 are protonated, UV-vis measurements indicate that the elimination reaction is significantly retarded as compared to neutral conditions, where protonation is less extensive. Interestingy, addition of copper(II)nitrate also suppresses the elimination reaction to a significant extent. Unfortunately, elimination is still faster than the Diels-Alder reaction on the internal double bond of 4.44. 

A number of compounds of the general type H2NZ react with aldehydes and ketones m a manner analogous to that of primary amines The carbonyl group (C=0) IS converted to C=NZ and a molecule of water is formed Table 17 4 presents exam pies of some of these reactions The mechanism by which each proceeds is similar to the nucleophilic addition-elimination mechanism described for the reaction of primary amines with aldehydes and ketones... 

Elimination unimolecular (El) mechanism (Section 5 17) Mechanism for elimination characterized by the slow for mation of a carbocation intermediate followed by rapid loss of a proton from the carbocation to form the alkene Enamine (Section 17 11) Product of the reaction of a second ary amine and an aldehyde or a ketone Enamines are char actenzed by the general structure... 

The main intermediates in the pentaerythritol production reaction have been identified and synthesized (50,51) and the intermediate reaction mechanisms deduced. Without adequate reaction control, by-product formation can easily occur (52,53). Generally mild reaction conditions are favored for optimum results (1,54). However, formation of by-products caimot be entirely eliminated, particularly dipentaerytbritol and the linear formal of pentaerythritol, 2,2 -[meth5lenebis(oxymethylene)]bis(2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol) [6228-26-8] ... 

Depolymerization of starch in alkaline solution proceeds more slowly than in acid and produces isosaccharinic acid derivatives rather than D-glucose as a major product. The mechanism involves a -elimination-type reaction (48). 

Hydrolysis. Esters are cleaved (hydroly2ed) into an acid and an alcohol through the action of water. This hydrolysis is cataly2ed by acids or bases. The mechanistic aspects of ester hydrolysis have received considerable attention and have been reviewed (16). For most esters only two reaction pathways are important. Both mechanisms involve a tetrahedral intermediate and addition-elimination reactions i7i7... 

Tubular reactors have empty spaces only between the catalyst particles. This eliminates one big disadvantage of CSTRs. On the other hand, the mathematical description and analysis of the data become more complicated. For chemical reaction studies it is still useful to detect major changes or differences in reaction mechanism. 

For reviews, see E. Baeiocehi in Chemistry of Halides, Pseudo-HaUdes and Azides, Part 2, S. Patai and Z. Kappopjit, eds., John Wiley Sons, New York, 1983, Chapter 23 W. H. Saunders, Jr., and A. F. Coekerill, Mechanisms of Elimination Reactions, John Wiley Sons, New York, 1973 D. J. McLennan, Tetrahedron 31 2999 (1975). 

There is another useiiil way of depicting the ideas embodied in the variable transition state theory of elimination reactions. This is to construct a three-dimensional potential energy diagram. Suppose that we consider the case of an ethyl halide. The two stepwise reaction paths both require the formation of high-energy intermediates. The El mechanism requires formation of a carbocation whereas the Elcb mechanism proceeds via a caibanion intermediate. 

The dehydration of alcohols is an important elimination reaction that takes place under acidic rather flian basic conditions. It involves an El mechanism." The function of the acidic reagent is to convert the hydroxyl group to a better leaving group by protonation ... 

This elimination reaction is the reverse of acid-catalyzed hydration, which was discussed in Section 6.2. Because a carbocation or closely related species is the intermediate, the elimination step would be expected to favor the more substituted alkene as discussed on p. 384. The El mechanism also explains the general trends in relative reactivity. Tertiary alcohols are the most reactive, and reactivity decreases going to secondary and primary alcohols. Also in accord with the El mechanism is the fact that rearranged products are found in cases where a carbocation intermediate would be expected to rearrange ... 

W. H. Saunders, Jr., and A. F. Cockerill, Mechanisms of Elimination Reactions, John Wiley Sons, New Vbik, 1973. 

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