5.3.2

Elimination Reactions

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Elimination Reactions

When a halogenoalkane is reacted with hydroxide ions, you can get an alcohol via substitution. But there is another reaction that can happen - elimination - which produces an alkene.

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Elimination mechanism

  • The image shows the mechanism for the elimination reaction of a halogenoalkane to form an alkene.
    • All the steps happen at the same time - it is a one step process.
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Elimination

  • Hydroxide ions are nucleophiles, but they are also bases.
  • They can take a proton off of a halogenoalkane if the next-door carbons have protons on them.
    • This results in formation of an alkene.
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Which reaction?

  • Hydroxide reacting with a halogenoalkane can either eliminate to produce an alkene or substitute to produce an alcohol.
    • Both are very possible.
  • To promote the elimination reaction, we can:
    • Use ethanol as the solvent rather than water.
    • Heat the reaction under reflux conditions.
      • Reflux involves using a reflux condenser to condense gases back into the reaction flask.

Jump to other topics

1Physical Chemistry

2Physical Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

3Inorganic Chemistry

4Inorganic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

5Organic Chemistry 1

6Organic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

6.1Optical Isomerism (A2 Only)

6.2Aldehydes & Ketones (A2 Only)

6.3Carboxylic Acids & Esters (A2 Only)

6.4Aromatic Chemistry (A2 Only)

6.5Amines (A2 Only)

6.6Polymers (A2 Only)

6.7Biological Organic (A2 Only)

6.8Organic Synthesis (A2 Only)

6.9NMR Spectroscopy (A2 Only)

6.10Chromatography (A2 Only)

6.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 2

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