Chapter 7, Problem 49P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Whether menthyl chloride or neomenthyl chloride reacts faster in the elimination reaction on treatment with sodium ethoxide in ethanol is to be determined.

Concept Introduction:

>

Dehydrohalogenation reaction is the loss of hydrogen and a halogen from adjacent carbon atoms in an alkyl halide to form the most stable alkene by $\text{β}$ eliminations.

>

${\text{E}}_2$ elimination reactions are favored whenever an alkyl halide is treated with a strong base.

>

In ${\text{E}}_2$ elimination, the elimination takes place in a single step. In the first step, a strong base abstracts a $\text{β}$ hydrogen atom ( $\text{C-2}$ ) in the alkyl halide concurrent with the loss of chloride from a $\text{α}$ carbon atom ( $\text{C-1}$ ), to give the most stable alkene.