Deducing Reaction Mechanism: A Guide for Students, Researchers, and Instructors

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 93; no. 2; pp. 275 - 286
• Main Authors: Meek, Simon J, Pitman, Catherine L, Miller, Alexander J. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 09.02.2016; Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Chemical reactions; Chemistry; College Science; Equations (Mathematics); Guides; Kinetics; Organic chemistry; Organizational structure; Reaction mechanisms; Science education; Science Experiments; Science Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Scientific Principles; Students; Teachers; Workflow; Graduate Education/Research; Upper-Division Undergraduate; Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning; Inorganic Chemistry; Kinetics; Mechanisms of Reactions; Organic Chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00160

An introductory guide to deducing the mechanism of chemical reactions is presented. Following a typical workflow for probing reaction mechanism, the guide introduces a wide range of kinetic and mechanistic tools. In addition to serving as a broad introduction to mechanistic analysis for students and researchers, the guide has also been used by instructors to provide the organizational structure for an upper-level course on organic and inorganic reaction mechanism. After providing students with the tools of mechanistic study, student-led discussions of case studies and an independent proposal project provide preparation for understanding the mechanism of new reactions encountered in independent research.