Carbocation Rearrangements: Hydride and Methyl Shifts

<p>A hydride is a hydrogen atom with two electrons and a negative -1 charge. An alkyl, or methyl, shift is the movement of an entire &ldquo;R&rdquo; group, where R can stand for any grouping of molecules. Having completed a multitude of practice reactions, one can see that the stability of intermediates greatly affects the rate at which reactions occur. If we have a reaction that occurs with a stable intermediate, the reaction will happen quickly. But if the reaction undergoes an unstable, or relatively less stable, intermediate, the rate of the reaction is lowered. A common example for outlining this principle is the formation of a carbocation.</p> <p>If we have a leaving group bonded to a tertiary carbon, then the intermediate formed will be an extremely stable tertiary carbocation.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@kyle_mickelson/carbocation-rearrangements-hydride-and-methyl-shifts-87ab26fac908"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>
Tags: Methyl Shifts