Solvolysis

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Solvolysis

Solvolysis is a special type of nucleophilic substitution

Nucleophilic substitution

In organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry, nucleophilic substitution is a fundamental class of substitution reaction in which an "electron rich" nucleophile selectively bonds with or attacks the positive or partially positive charge of an atom attached to a group or atom called the leaving group; the positive or partially positive atom...
or elimination

Elimination reaction

An elimination reaction is a type of organic reaction in which two substituents are removed from a molecule in either a one or two-step mechanism ....
where the nucleophile

Nucleophile

In chemistry, a nucleophile is a reagent that forms a chemical bond to its reaction partner by donating both bonding electrons. Because nucleophiles donate electrons, they are by definition Lewis bases ....
is a solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution.The most common solvent in everyday life is water....
molecule. For certain nucleophiles, there are specific terms for the type of solvolysis reaction. For water

Water (molecule)

File:Blue-water-pool.jpgWater is the most abundant molecule on Earth's surface, constituting about 70% of the Earth's surface in liquid, solid, and gaseous states....
, the term is hydrolysis

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which one or more water are split into hydrogen and hydroxide ions which may go on to participate in further reactions....
; for alcohols, it is alcoholysis; for ammonia

Ammonia

Ammonia is a chemical compound with the chemical formula nitrogenhydrogen. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor....
, it is ammonolysis.

e solvolysis often refers to an organic chemistry

Organic chemistry

Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the science study of the structure, properties, composition, chemical reaction, and preparation of chemical compounds that contain carbon....
context, hydrolysis is very common in inorganic chemistry

Inorganic chemistry

Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds. This field covers all chemical compounds except the myriad organic compounds , which are the subjects of organic chemistry....
, where aqua complexes

Complex (chemistry)

In chemistry, a complex, also called a "coordination compound" or "metal complex", is a structure consisting of a central atom or molecule connected to surrounding atoms or molecules....
of metal ions react with solvent molecules due to the Lewis acid

Lewis acid

A Lewis acid is a chemical compound, A, that can accept a pair of electrons from a Lewis base, B, that acts as an electron-pair donor, forming an adduct, AB.Gilbert N....
ity of the metal center.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Solvolysis'

Start a new discussion about 'Solvolysis'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Hydrolysis

While solvolysis often refers to an organic chemistry

Organic chemistry

Inorganic chemistry

Complex (chemistry)

Lewis acid

Aluminium chloride

Aluminium chloride is a chemical compound of aluminium and chlorine. The solid has a low melting and boiling point, and is Covalent bond. It sublimation at 178 ?Celsius....
are acidic due to the aqua-aluminium complex losing protons to water molecules, giving hydronium ions which lowers the pH

pH is a measure of the Acid or Base of a solution. It is defined as the cologarithm of the Activity of dissolved hydrogen ions . Hydrogen ion activity coefficients cannot be measured experimentally, so they are based on theoretical calculations....
.

In organic chemistry, hydrolysis reactions often give two fragments from an initial substrate. For example, the hydrolysis of amide

Amide

In chemistry, an amide is one of three kinds of compounds:* the organic chemistry functional group characterized by a carbonyl group linked to a nitrogen atom , or a compound that contains this functional group ; or...
s give carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of a carboxyl group, which has the Chemical formula -COH, usually written -COOH or -CO2H....
s and amine

Amine

Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a base nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivative s of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by organic substituents such as alkyl and aryl groups....
s; the hydrolysis of ester

Ester

An ester is an often Aroma compound organic chemistry or partially organic compound formed by the reaction between an acid and an alcohol or aromatic alcohol with the elimination of water....
s give alcohols and carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of a carboxyl group, which has the Chemical formula -COH, usually written -COOH or -CO2H....
s.

Alcoholysis

An example of a solvolysis reaction is the reaction of a triglyceride

Triglyceride

is a glyceride in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids. It is the main constituent of vegetable oil and animal fats....
with a simple alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
such as methanol

Methanol

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula carbonhydrogen3oxygenhydrogen ....
or ethanol

Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
to give the methyl or ethyl ester

Ester

Glycerol

Glycerol is a chemical compound also commonly called glycerin or glycerine. It is a colorless, odorless, Viscosity liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations....
. This reaction is more commonly known as a transesterification

Transesterification

In organic chemistry, transesterification is the process of exchanging the alcohol group of an ester compound with another alcohol. These reactions are often catalyst by the addition of an acid or base ....
reaction due to the exchange of the alcohol fragments.

Solvolysis of a chiral

Chirality (chemistry)

The term chiral is used to describe an object that is non-Superposition on its mirror image.Human hands are perhaps the most universally recognized example of chirality: The left hand is a non-superposable mirror image of the right hand; no matter how the two hands are oriented, it is impossible for all the major features of both hands...
reactant results in the racemate (as expected in S_N1) but is often accompanied by Walden inversion

Walden inversion

Walden inversion is the inversion of a chirality center in a molecule in a chemical reaction. Since a molecule can form two enantiomers around a chiral center, the Walden inversion converts the configuration of the molecule from one enantiomeric form to the other....
. This is explained by postulating an intimate ion pair

Intimate ion pair

In chemistry the intimate ion pair concept introduced by Saul Winstein describes the interactions between a cation, anion and surrounding solvent molecules....
whereby the leaving anion is still in proximity to the carbocation

Carbocation

A carbocation is an ion with a positively-charged carbon atom. The charged carbon atom in a carbocation is a "sextet", i.e. it has only six electrons in its outer Electron shell#Valence shell instead of the eight valence electrons that ensures maximum stability ....
and effectively shielding it from an attack by the nucleophile.