![using chem draw for mechanisms using chem draw for mechanisms](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6ZGxfDTkH00/maxresdefault.jpg)
The general structures and names of four such intermediates are given below.Ī pair of widely used terms, related to the Lewis acid-base notation, should also be introduced here.Įlectrophile: An electron deficient atom, ion or molecule that has an affinity for an electron pair, and will bond to a base or nucleophile. Such species are referred to as reactive intermediates, and are believed to be transient intermediates in many reactions. The products of bond breaking, shown above, are not stable in the usual sense, and cannot be isolated for prolonged study. If the bond breaks with both electrons of the shared pair remaining with one fragment, as in the second and third examples, this is called heterolysis. If a covalent single bond is broken so that one electron of the shared pair remains with each fragment, as in the first example, this bond-breaking is called homolysis. The use of these symbols in bond-breaking and bond-making reactions is illustrated below.
Using chem draw for mechanisms full#
In general, two kinds of curved arrows are used in drawing mechanisms: A full head on the arrow indicates the movement or shift of an electron pair:Ī partial head (fishhook) on the arrow indicates the shift of a single electron: It is now common practice to show the movement of electrons with curved arrows, and a sequence of equations depicting the consequences of such electron shifts is termed a mechanism. Since chemical reactions involve the breaking and making of bonds, a consideration of the movement of bonding ( and non-bonding ) valence shell electrons is essential to this understanding.