Explain why 3-bromocyclohexene is more reactive than 4-bromocyclohexene in hydrolysis with aqueous NaOH.

3-bromocyclohexene is more reactive than 4-bromocyclohexene towards hydrolysis by aqueous NaOH. The reaction occurs via SN1 meachanism in which first step is the formation of carbocation followed by the attack of nucleophile.
The mechanism can be represented as shown below:

In first, 3-bromocyclohexene, the reaction take place through the formation of allylic carbocation which is resonance stabilised and in second, 4-bromocyclohexene there is no such stabilisation of carbocation. The reaction in which stable carbocation is formed will take place fast. Therefore, 3-bromocyclohexene is more reactive than 4-bromocyclohexene.

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as meta- position is more reactive than para-position.

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