Chapter 8, Problem 8.4P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Mechanism for the given $\text{E1}$ reaction including overall reactant, overall product, and an intermediate is to be drawn.

Concept introduction:

$\text{E1}$ reaction is a unimolecular elimination reaction which takes place in two steps. In the first step, the bond between the carbon atom and the leaving group breaks to generate a carbocation, which is known as the heterolysis step. In the second step, a base removes a proton, forming an alkene. A species is an overall reactant or an overall product if it appears in the overall reaction. A species is an intermediate if it is produced in a mechanism but does not appear in the overall reaction. Also, for a mechanism that contains n number of steps, there are must be n number of transition states and n-1 number of stages representing the intermediate. The transition state appears at the local maxima and intermediate at the local minima in the free energy diagram.