In chemistry, a nonclassical ion usually refers to carbonium ions, a family of organic cations. They are characterized by delocalized three-center, two-electron bonds. The more stable members are often bi- or polycyclic.
Examples
Historically, nonclassical ions were invoked to explain unusually fast solvolyses of steroidal, norbornyl, and cyclopropyl halides. Explanations for these rates was once controversial.
The 2-Norbornyl cation is one of the best characterized carbonium ion. It is the prototype for non-classical ions. As indicated first by low-temperature NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by X-ray crystallography, it has a symmetric structure with an RCH2 group bonded to an alkene group, stabilized by a bicyclic structure.
Solvolyses of cyclopropylcarbinyl, cyclobutyl, and homoallyl esters are also characterized by very large rates, and have been shown to occur via a common nonclassical ion structure in the form of a bicyclobutonium ion.
Further reading
- Brown, H. C. (with commentary by P. v. R. Schleyer) The Nonclassical Ion Problem; Plenum Press: New York /Springer 1977
- Moss, R.A. The 2-norbornyl cation: a retrospective J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2014 , 27, 374-379
See also
References
- ^ Scholz, F.; Himmel, D.; Heinemann, F. W.; Schleyer, P. v R.; Meyer, K.; Krossing, I. (2013-07-05). "Crystal Structure Determination of the Nonclassical 2-Norbornyl Cation". Science. 341 (6141): 62–64. Bibcode:2013Sci...341...62S. doi:10.1126/science.1238849. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 23828938. S2CID 206549219.
- Thomas H. Lowery; Kathleen Schueller Richardson (1981). Mechanism and Theory in Organic Chemistry, Second Edition. Harper and Rowe. p. 396. ISBN 0-06-044083-X.
- Anslyn, E.V., Dougherty, D.A Modern Physical Organic Chemistry University Science Books 2005
- Sykes P. A guide book to mechanism in organic chemistry 6th Ed. , New Delhi: Orient Longman, 1986, p. 111 ff
- Capon, B., McManus, S. P. Neighboring Group Participation Vol. 1, Plenum, New York, 1976
- Schneider, H.-J. The Controversy about Nonclassical Ions – Abandoned too Early? J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2018,
- Saunders, M., Laidig, K.E., Wiberg, K.B. , Schleyer Structures, energies, and modes of interconversion of C
4H
7 ions J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1988, 110, 7652–7659 - Siehl , H. U. The Conundrum of the (C4H7) Cation: Bicyclobutonium and Related Carbocations Adv. Phys. Org. Chem. , 2018, 52, 1-47