The following reaction represent a propsed reaction mechanism for the formation C(C6H5)3OH from C(C6H3)3Cl.
Step 1: C(C6H5)3Cl--> C(C6H5)3^+ + Cl-
Step 2: C(C6H5)3^+ + OH- --> C(C6H5)3OH
What are the intermediate product(s) of the net reaction? Explain your answer.
What I have as the equation for the net reaction is:
C(C6H5)3Cl + OH- --> C(C6H5)3OH + Cl-
So would the intermediate products be C(C6H5)3OH and Cl- because they are the products of the net reaction?
Yes, you are correct. The net reaction you provided represents the overall conversion of the starting material C(C6H5)3Cl to the final product C(C6H5)3OH. In this reaction, the intermediate products are formed and then consumed to yield the final product.
Intermediate products are formed during the reaction sequence but are not present in the overall balanced equation. They are usually short-lived and do not accumulate significantly in the reaction mixture. In this case, the proposed reaction mechanism suggests the formation of a carbocation intermediate, C(C6H5)3^+, in Step 1.
The proposed reaction mechanism implies that C(C6H5)3Cl reacts with a strong base, OH-, in Step 2 to generate the final product C(C6H5)3OH. It is important to note that the Cl- ions (chloride ions) formed in both Step 1 and Step 2 are spectator ions and do not participate further in the reaction.
Therefore, the intermediate product in the reaction sequence is the carbocation C(C6H5)3^+ while the final products are C(C6H5)3OH and Cl-.