Alkyl Halides Lab Report

1739 Words7 Pages
Introduction: Within this experiment we will determine the reaction rates of six alkyl halides when using two separate mechanisms. These mechanisms are SN1 and SN2 reactivity. To determine SN1 reactivity, silver nitrate within ethanol is used to define the reactions of the six alkyl halides. Lastly, for the SN2 mechanism, sodium iodide within acetone is used as the determining reagent for the alkyl halides. Main Reaction: SN1 Reaction: R-X + AgNO3 R-X-Ag R + (precipitates) R-O-Et R-O-Et + X= Cl, Br SN2 Reaction: R-X + NaI R-I + (precipitate) X= Cl, Br Mechanism: Table of Reagents:…show more content…
Ethanol will need to neutralize the carbocation with the negative charge of the oxygen ion. Once the carbocation is neutralized, then the lone pairs on oxygen ion in ethanol will need to release the hydrogen on the newly formed bond in order to stabilize the stereochemistry of the oxygen ion. For the SN2 reaction mechanism, the Cl ion was able to leave based on its strength as a leaving group. The negative charge from the iodine ion is used to neutralize the carbocation that appears after the leaving group is…show more content…
For SN1 reactions, the order of reactivity is the slowest with a tertiary substrate and the fastest with a methyl substrate. Based on the predicted orders of the alkyl halides for a SN2 reaction, the experimental order did not fit the predicted order perfectly. The only alkyl halide that was correctly modeled in both the predicted and experimental order was the 2-Chlorobutane in an SN1 reaction. The other alkyl halides were slightly off in both the predicted and experimental order; some of the alkyl halides were just a few spaces off from where it was predicted to be in the experimental order. The order could have been manipulated due having to re-do 2-Cholorobutane at a later time for SN2 reactivity, the lack of time provided to complete the lab after an error was corrected and the room temperature within the lab. My experimental order was determined by the rate of color change and the presence of cloudiness during each reaction. If the mixtures’ color changed to a yellowish color and became cloudy, then it was expected that a precipitate would form. Based on these assumptions, the order of reactivity was determined by these factors and the amount of time it took the mixture to
Show More
Related

  • Alkyl Halides Lab Report

    1684 Words  | 7 Pages

    Nikea McMullen Alcohols to Alkyl Halides, IR and NMR December 5, 2014 Introduction The conversion of an alcohol to an alkyl halide can proceed by either the SN1 or SN2 mechanism, depending on the structure of the starting material. In an SN1 reaction, the formation of a carbocation intermediate is the rate-determining step. As a result, carbocation stability is important. Tertiary carbocations are the most stable, due to hyperconjugation and the induction effect, which both help stabilize the charge

    Read More

  • Alkyl Halides Of Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction Lab Report

    558 Words  | 3 Pages

    Experiment 1: Reactivity of alkyl halides of nucleophilic substitution reactions Name :George Chatzopoulos Student No: S2845296 Email: Chatzopoulos123@gmail.com Date: 02/10/2015 Francesco Mecozzi Abstract: In the first experiment the relative reactivity of various alkyl halides will be tested by placing them in acetone and ethanol. For solution (A) we added Sodium Iodide (NaI) in acetone, because its insolvable in acetone, and for solution (B)we added AgNO3 in ethanol, because again it is

    Read More

More about Alkyl Halides Lab Report

Open Document