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Related Concept Videos

Reaction Mechanisms03:06

Reaction Mechanisms

Chemical reactions often occur in a stepwise fashion, involving two or more distinct reactions taking place in a sequence. A balanced equation indicates the reacting species and the product species, but it reveals no details about how the reaction occurs at the molecular level. The reaction mechanism (or reaction path) provides details regarding the precise, step-by-step process by which a reaction occurs.
For instance, the decomposition of ozone appears to follow a mechanism with two steps:
Nitriles to Ketones: Grignard Reaction00:57

Nitriles to Ketones: Grignard Reaction

Organomagnesium halides, commonly known as Grignard reagents, convert nitriles to ketones and proceed through a nucleophilic acyl substitution. Nitriles react with a Grignard reagent, followed by an aqueous acid, to yield ketones. The reaction introduces a new carbon–carbon bond. The alkyl–magnesium bond in the Grignard reagent is highly polar, so the alkyl carbon develops a carbanionic character and acts as a nucleophile.
The mechanism begins with a nucleophilic attack by the Grignard reagent...
Acid Halides to Alcohols: Grignard Reaction01:15

Acid Halides to Alcohols: Grignard Reaction

Organomagnesium halides, commonly known as Grignard reagents, convert acid halides to tertiary alcohols. The reaction requires two equivalents of the Grignard reagent and proceeds via a ketone intermediate.
Grignard reagents are a source of carbanions and function as nucleophiles. The mechanism begins with the nucleophilic attack by the carbanion at the carbonyl carbon of the acid halide to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Next, the carbonyl group is re-formed, and the halide ion departs,...
Alkenes via Reductive Coupling of Aldehydes or Ketones: McMurry Reaction01:22

Alkenes via Reductive Coupling of Aldehydes or Ketones: McMurry Reaction

The radical dimerization of ketones or aldehydes gives vicinal diols through a pinacol coupling reaction. However, the behavior of titanium metals used for the reaction as a source of electrons is unusual. When the reaction is carried out in the presence of titanium, diols can be isolated at low temperatures. Else titanium further reacts with diols, forming alkenes through the McMurry reaction.
C–C Bond Cleavage: Retro-Aldol Reaction00:57

C–C Bond Cleavage: Retro-Aldol Reaction

The reverse of the aldol addition reaction is called the retro-aldol reaction. Here, the carbon–carbon bond in the aldol product is cleaved under acidic or basic conditions to form two molecules of carbonyl compounds. The mechanism of the reaction consists of three steps.
In the first step, as depicted in Figure 1, the base deprotonates the β-hydroxy ketone at the hydroxyl group to form an alkoxide ion.
Nonenolizable Aldehydes to Acids and Alcohols: The Cannizzaro Reaction01:25

Nonenolizable Aldehydes to Acids and Alcohols: The Cannizzaro Reaction

The Cannizzaro reaction is a base-promoted redox reaction producing a primary alcohol and a carboxylic acid from two molecules of a nonenolizable aldehyde. The reaction commences when the anionic counterpart of the base attacks the carbonyl carbon, resulting in a tetrahedral alkoxide intermediate. The base then abstracts a proton from the intermediate to generate an unstable dianionic species. This intermediate enables the release of the aldehydic hydrogen as a hydride ion. An intermolecular...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Microwave-assisted Intramolecular Dehydrogenative Diels-Alder Reactions for the Synthesis of Functionalized Naphthalenes/Solvatochromic Dyes
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Microwave-assisted Intramolecular Dehydrogenative Diels-Alder Reactions for the Synthesis of Functionalized Naphthalenes/Solvatochromic Dyes

Published on: April 1, 2013

The retro-Nazarov reaction.

Michael Harmata1, Dong Reyoul Lee

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA. harmatam@missouri.edu

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|November 28, 2002
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals a novel ring-opening reaction of a bromocyclopentenone derivative. The reaction proceeds via a retro-Nazarov mechanism, yielding a dienone product.

Area of Science:

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Reaction Mechanisms

Background:

  • Cyclopentenone derivatives are versatile synthetic intermediates.
  • Understanding reaction mechanisms is crucial for developing new synthetic methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reaction of 2-bromo-4-t-butoxy-2-cyclopentenone with amine bases.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of the observed ring-opening reaction.
  • To establish a general protocol for this transformation.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of 2-bromo-4-t-butoxy-2-cyclopentenone with an amine base in trifluoroethanol.
  • Conjugate addition of organocuprates to the cyclopentenone.
  • Base-mediated ring-opening of the resulting adducts.

Main Results:

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Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
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Mizoroki-Heck Cross-coupling Reactions Catalyzed by Dichloro{bis[1,1',1''-(phosphinetriyl)tripiperidine]}palladium Under Mild Reaction Conditions
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Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
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Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions

Published on: July 30, 2017

  • A ring-opened dienone product was obtained in moderate yield.
  • The reaction mechanism was identified as a retro-Nazarov reaction involving an oxyallylic cation.
  • The protocol was successfully applied to several other examples.

Conclusions:

  • A new synthetic route to dienones from bromocyclopentenones has been established.
  • The retro-Nazarov pathway provides a mechanistic explanation for the observed ring-opening.
  • This methodology offers a valuable tool for organic synthesis.