Study of Allylic Carbocations
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Mentor/Supervising Professor Name
Menzmer, Mitch
Abstract (Description of Research)
Carbocations are positively charged intermediates. Their reactivity and ability to undergo transformations such as hydride shifts, rearrangements, and disproportionation - where one substance gets reduced and oxidized simultaneously - make them useful in understanding reaction dynamics[1]. Generally their lifetimes range within the nanoseconds making effective study difficult and expensive[2]. However, allylic carbocations were found to be stable over a longer time from 1 hour to 1 week in sulfuric acid[3]. This is due to the positive charge being delocalized over a conjugated pi bond system [1]. This permits the use of commercially available equipment such as a UV-Vis spectrometer.
The molecule analyzed for formation of an allylic carbocation is 2-methyl-2-pentanol. This molecule was chosen because of its likely feasibility in forming an allylic carbocation. Likewise, it follows suit with previous research, while also being a new molecule of interest that hasn’t been thoroughly studied. With the molecule, the goal is to determine the observed rate constant at different concentrations of sulfuric acid.
Study of Allylic Carbocations
Carbocations are positively charged intermediates. Their reactivity and ability to undergo transformations such as hydride shifts, rearrangements, and disproportionation - where one substance gets reduced and oxidized simultaneously - make them useful in understanding reaction dynamics[1]. Generally their lifetimes range within the nanoseconds making effective study difficult and expensive[2]. However, allylic carbocations were found to be stable over a longer time from 1 hour to 1 week in sulfuric acid[3]. This is due to the positive charge being delocalized over a conjugated pi bond system [1]. This permits the use of commercially available equipment such as a UV-Vis spectrometer.
The molecule analyzed for formation of an allylic carbocation is 2-methyl-2-pentanol. This molecule was chosen because of its likely feasibility in forming an allylic carbocation. Likewise, it follows suit with previous research, while also being a new molecule of interest that hasn’t been thoroughly studied. With the molecule, the goal is to determine the observed rate constant at different concentrations of sulfuric acid.