Reaction Intermediates
Short lived fragments that are known as reaction intermediates result from homolytic and heterolytic bond fission. The significant reaction substances are carbanions,carbocations, benzyne, carbenes, free radicals, and nitrenes.
Table
Characteristic
|
Free radical
|
Carbocation
|
Carbanion
|
Carbene
|
Nature
|
Neutral having odd electron
|
Positive charge on C
|
Negative charge on C
|
Neutral, divalent with 2 unshared electrons
|
Hybridisation
|
sp2
|
sp2
|
sp3 (non-conjugated)
sp2 (Conjugated)
|
(i) sp2 (singlet)
(ii) sp (triplet)
|
Structure
|
Planar
|
Planar
|
Pyramidal/Planar
|
(i) Planar (singlet)
(ii) Linear (triplet)
|
Magnetism
|
Paramagnetic
|
Diamagnetic
|
Diamagnetic
|
(i) Diamagnetic
(ii) Paramagnetic
|