The Logic of Organic Reaction Mechanisms

Abstract This chapter covers the logical basis of organic reaction mechanisms. Basic definitions and concepts in the field are presented and explained with appropriate references. Beginning with a discussion of what constitutes a chemical reaction, the chapter proceeds to examine the importance of the balanced chemical equation as a fundamental organizing principle of physical organic chemistry. What follows are two sections, which describe how to properly read and depict chemical schemes. Here we emphasize maintaining visual aspect as a particularly useful analytical approach. In the fifth section, we discuss the logic of curly arrow notation and it should be used to clearly and completely illustrate reaction mechanisms. Next we introduce the mechanism of the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of a ketone to an ester group to help apply the visualization and notation principles discussed in earlier sections. In Section 1.7 , we provide a table of important resources with regard to the logic of physical organic chemistry and reaction mechanisms along with our evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. In the final two sections of this chapter, we cover two essential and often-neglected topics: acid dissociation in relation to base strength and autoxidation.