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Topic: how long can a primary carbocation lasts without reacting?  (Read 2654 times)

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Offline navik1

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how long can a primary carbocation lasts without reacting?
« on: October 06, 2010, 04:02:06 PM »
In the reaction
CH2=CH2 + HBr -> CH3-CH2 + -Br -> CH3CH3
from the middle one to the the third one.
i asked my teacher, but the only other thing he knew about it is primary carbocation are more reactive than secondary or tertiary.

Offline Doc Oc

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Re: how long can a primary carbocation lasts without reacting?
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2010, 11:52:30 PM »
That 2nd reaction won't happen, the bromide anion will attack the carbocation and you'll end up with the alkyl halide.

Offline navik1

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Re: how long can a primary carbocation lasts without reacting?
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2010, 04:40:28 PM »
the reaction is
CH2=CH2 + HBr -> CH3-CH2 + -Br -> CH3CH2Br
and not the other one
and in the second reaction the CH3-CH2 is positively charged

Offline Doc Oc

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Re: how long can a primary carbocation lasts without reacting?
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2010, 12:25:51 AM »
Well, to answer your original question, not long at all, especially in the presence of a good nucleophile like Br-.  There's some factors that can help to stabilize it such as using polar solvents, but in general they are very quick to react.

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