Which of the following compounds undergoes an SN1 reaction most readily?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following compounds undergoes an SN1 reaction most readily?
1-bromopropane
2-bromopropane
3-bromopropane
1-bromo-2-methylpropane
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following compounds undergoes an SN1 reaction most readily?
Step 1: Understand what an SN1 reaction is. It is a type of nucleophilic substitution reaction that involves two main steps.
Step 2: Identify the first step of the SN1 reaction, which is the formation of a carbocation. This happens when the leaving group (like a bromine atom) departs from the alkyl halide.
Step 3: Recognize that the stability of the carbocation is crucial. More stable carbocations are formed from tertiary alkyl halides (where the carbon is attached to three other carbons).
Step 4: Compare different types of alkyl halides. Tertiary alkyl halides (like 3-bromopropane) are more stable than secondary or primary alkyl halides because they have more surrounding carbon atoms to help stabilize the positive charge.
Step 5: Conclude that since tertiary alkyl halides form more stable carbocations, they undergo SN1 reactions more readily than primary or secondary alkyl halides.
