Which of the following mechanisms feature carbocation intermediates: SN1 only, SN2 only, E1 only, E2 only or both SN1 and E1?
1 Answer
May 20, 2015
Both
The first step in both reactions is the same: departure of the leaving group to form an intermediate carbocation.
This is the rate determining step. It is a unimolecular reaction, and that accounts for the "
If the nucleophile attacks and bonds to the cationic carbon atom, we have a nucleophilic substitution (
If, instead, a base attacks the β hydrogen to form an alkene, we have an elimination (