Homolytic and Heterolytic Fission
Bond breaking is an important part of organic chemistry – Bond Fission: a. Homolytic fission: Each atom separates with one electron, leading to the formation of highly reactive entities called radicals, owing their reactivity to their unpaired electron. b. Heterolytic fission: One atom holds on to electrons, leaving none for the other, the result in the above case being a negative and positive ion, respectively, the result being the formation of an ion pair. Reactions involving radicals tend to occur in the gas phase and in solution in non-polar solvents and to be catalyzed by light and by the addition of other radicals. Reactions involving ionic intermediates take place more readily in solution in polar solvents, because of the greater ease of separation of charges therein and very often because of the stabilization of the resultant ion pairs through solvation. Question Which type of fission is this? CH 3 Cl → CH + 3 + Cl − CH 3 Cl ...