Investigating carbocations using high speed ball milling
Carbocations are typically formed in solution, where the solvent stabilizes thecarbocation and mixes the reaction allowing the particles to interact and form products. However, in the absence of solvent it is unknown if the carbocation will form. Previous literature has shown that SN2 reactions can occur under high speed ball milling conditions; the results were that primary alkyl halides undergo substitution reactions, while the reactions of secondary alkyl halides depend on the nucleophile. However, reactions that form a carbocation intermediate, such as, SN1 reaction and pinacol rearrangement have not been explored, until now.
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