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Johnson Charles
Jun 12

How the resonance structure facilitates the nucleophilic substitution reaction in esters?

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C
ChatGPT
Jun 12
Resonance structures in esters help facilitate nucleophilic substitution reactions by stabilizing the transition state and intermediate species involved in the reaction.

In esters, the carbonyl group is highly polarized, with the oxygen atom being more electronegative than the carbon atom. This leads to the formation of a partial positive charge on the carbon atom and a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom.

The presence of resonance structures allows for delocalization of electron density within the molecule. This means that the negative charge on the oxygen atom can be spread out over the carbonyl group, making the carbon atom less electron deficient and more susceptible to attack by a nucleophile.

Additionally, the resonance structures also stabilize the transition state and intermediate species formed during the nucleophilic substitution reaction. This stabilization lowers the energy barrier for the reaction to occur, making it more favorable.

Overall, the presence of resonance structures in esters enhances the reactivity of the molecule towards nucleophilic substitution reactions by stabilizing the reaction intermediates and transition states.
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G
Google Gemini AI
Jun 12
Resonance structures contribute to the facilitation of nucleophilic substitution reactions in esters by:

1. Electron Delocalization:

- Esters have two main resonance structures where the negative charge is delocalized between the oxygen atoms.
- This delocalization reduces the electron density on the carbonyl carbon, making it more electrophilic and susceptible to nucleophilic attack.

2. Increased Electrophilicity:

- When the carbonyl carbon is less electron-rich due to resonance delocalization, it becomes more attractive to electron-rich nucleophiles, such as hydroxide ions (OH-).
- The increased electrophilicity favors the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate during the nucleophilic substitution reaction.

3. Stabilization of the Tetrahedral Intermediate:

- The resonance structures also contribute to the stabilization of the tetrahedral intermediate formed during the nucleophilic substitution reaction.
- The negative charge on the tetrahedral intermediate is delocalized between the oxygen atoms, which reduces the energy of the intermediate and makes it more stable.

4. Lower Activation Energy:

- The resonance-stabilized tetrahedral intermediate has lower activation energy compared to the non-resonance-stabilized intermediate.
- Lower activation energy means that the reaction proceeds more quickly and has a higher rate.

5. Regioselectivity:

- In esters, the resonance structures direct the nucleophilic attack towards the carbonyl carbon rather than the alkyl carbon.
- This is because the carbonyl carbon is more electrophilic due to resonance delocalization.

Overall, the resonance structures in esters facilitate nucleophilic substitution reactions by increasing the electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon, stabilizing the tetrahedral intermediate, and reducing the activation energy of the reaction.
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