What is the stability order of tertiary butyl carbocation , allylic an...
Stability Order of Carbocations
Carbocations are formed when a molecule loses a leaving group. The stability of carbocations depends on the degree of substitution and resonance stabilization. In general, the order of stability for carbocations is:
- tertiary carbocations
- secondary carbocations
- primary carbocations
- methyl carbocations
Tertiary Butyl Carbocation
The tertiary butyl carbocation is a carbocation with four carbon atoms bonded to the positively charged carbon. This carbocation is stabilized by hyperconjugation, which occurs when the electrons in a C-H bond interact with the empty p orbital of the carbocation. The more hyperconjugation, the more stable the carbocation. Therefore, the tertiary butyl carbocation is the most stable carbocation.
Allylic Carbocation
An allylic carbocation is a carbocation that is adjacent to a carbon-carbon double bond. The double bond provides resonance stabilization, which occurs when the electrons in the double bond move to the positively charged carbon. This resonance stabilization makes the allylic carbocation more stable than a primary carbocation, but less stable than a tertiary carbocation.
Benzylic Carbocation
A benzylic carbocation is a carbocation that is adjacent to a benzene ring. The delocalization of electrons in the benzene ring provides resonance stabilization to the carbocation. This resonance stabilization makes the benzylic carbocation more stable than a primary carbocation, but less stable than a tertiary carbocation.
Conclusion
In summary, the stability order of carbocations is tertiary > secondary > primary > methyl. The tertiary butyl carbocation is the most stable carbocation due to hyperconjugation. The allylic carbocation and benzylic carbocation are more stable than primary carbocations due to resonance stabilization, but less stable than tertiary carbocations.