Beta-hydride Elimination
β-Hydride elimination is a reaction in which an alkyl group bonded to a metal centre is converted into the corresponding metal-bonded hydride and an alkene. The alkyl must have hydrogens on the β-carbon. For instance butyl groups can undergo this reaction but methyl groups cannot. The metal complex must have an empty (or vacant) site ''cis'' to the alkyl group for this reaction to occur. Moreover, for facile cleavage of the C–H bond, a d electron pair is needed for donation into the σ* orbital of the C–H bond. Thus, d0 metals alkyls are generally more stable to β-hydride elimination than d2 and higher metal alkyls and may form isolable agostic complexes, even if an empty coordination site is available. The β-hydride elimination can either be a vital step in a reaction or an unproductive side reaction. The Shell higher olefin process relies on β-hydride elimination to produce α-olefins which are used to produce detergents. Illustrative of a sometimes undesirable Π...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  

Alkyl
In organic chemistry, an alkyl group is an alkane missing one hydrogen. The term ''alkyl'' is intentionally unspecific to include many possible substitutions. An acyclic alkyl has the general formula of . A cycloalkyl is derived from a cycloalkane by removal of a hydrogen atom from a Ring (chemistry), ring and has the general formula . Typically an alkyl is a part of a larger molecule. In structural formulae, the symbol R is used to designate a generic (unspecified) alkyl group. The smallest alkyl group is methyl, with the formula . Related concepts Alkylation is an important operation in refineries, for example in the production of high-octane gasoline. Alkylating antineoplastic agents are a class of compounds that are used to treat cancer. In such case, the term alkyl is used loosely. For example, nitrogen mustards are well-known alkylating agents, but they are not simple hydrocarbons. In chemistry, alkyl is a group, a substituent, that is attached to other molecular fr ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]