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Heterolysis (chemistry)
View on WikipediaIn chemistry, heterolysis or heterolytic fission (from Greek ἕτερος (heteros) 'different' and λύσις (lusis) 'loosening') is the process of cleaving/breaking a covalent bond where one previously bonded species takes both original bonding electrons from the other species.[1] During heterolytic bond cleavage of a neutral molecule, a cation and an anion will be generated. Most commonly the more electronegative atom keeps the pair of electrons becoming anionic while the more electropositive atom becomes cationic.
Heterolytic fission almost always happens to single bonds; the process usually produces two fragment species.
The energy required to break the bond is called the heterolytic bond dissociation energy, which is similar (but not equivalent) to homolytic bond dissociation energy commonly used to represent the energy value of a bond.
One example of the differences in the energies is the energy required to break a H−H bond
ΔH = 104 kcal/mol ΔH = 66 kcal/mol (in water)[2]
History
[edit]The discovery and categorization of heterolytic bond fission was clearly dependent on the discovery and categorization of the chemical bond.
In 1916, chemist Gilbert N. Lewis developed the concept of the electron-pair bond, in which two atoms share one to six electrons, thus forming the single electron bond, a single bond, a double bond, or a triple bond.[3] This became the model for a covalent bond.
In 1932 Linus Pauling first proposed the concept of electronegativity, which also introduced the idea that electrons in a covalent bond may not be shared evenly between the bonded atoms.[4]
However, the ions had been studied before bonds mainly by Svante Arrhenius in his 1884 dissertation. Arrhenius pioneered development of ionic theory and proposed definitions for acids as molecules that produced hydrogen ions, and bases as molecules that produced hydroxide ions.
Solvation effects
[edit]The rate of reaction for many reactions involving unimolecular heterolysis depends heavily on rate of ionization of the covalent bond. The limiting reaction step is generally the formation of ion pairs. One group in Ukraine did an in-depth study on the role of nucleophilic solvation and its effect on the mechanism of bond heterolysis. They found that the rate of heterolysis depends strongly on the nature of the solvent.
For example, a change of reaction medium from hexane to water increases the rate of tert-Butyl chloride (t-BuCl) heterolysis by 14 orders of magnitude.[5] This is caused by very strong solvation of the transition state. The main factors that affect heterolysis rates are mainly the solvent's polarity and electrophilic as well as its ionizing power. The polarizability, nucleophilicity and cohesion of the solvent had a much weaker effect on heterolysis.[5]
However, there is some debate on effects of the nucleophilicity of the solvent, some papers claim it has no effect,[6] while some papers claim that more nucleophilic solvents decrease the reaction rate.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. (the "Gold Book") (2025). Online version: (2006–) "heterolysis (heterolytic)". doi:10.1351/goldbook.H02809
- ^ Blanksby, S. J.; Ellison, G. B. (2003). "Bond Dissociation Energies of Organic Molecules". Acc. Chem. Res. 36 (4): 255–263. doi:10.1021/ar020230d. PMID 12693923.
- ^ Lewis, Gilbert N (1916). "The Atom and the Molecule". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 38 (4): 772. doi:10.1021/ja02261a002.
- ^ Pauling, L (1932). "The Nature of the Chemical Bond. IV. The Energy of Single Bonds and the Relative Electronegativity of Atoms". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 54 (9): 3570–3582. doi:10.1021/ja01348a011.
- ^ a b Dvorko, G. F.; Ponomareva, E. A.; Ponomarev, M. E. (2004). "Role of nucleophilic solvation and the mechanism of covalent bond heterolysis". J. Phys. Org. Chem. 17 (10): 825–836. doi:10.1002/poc.757.
- ^ Abraham, MH; Doherty, RM; Kamlet, JM; Harris, JM; Taft, RW (1987). "Linear solvation energy relationships. Part 37. An analysis of contributions of dipolarity–polarisability, nucleophilic assistance, electrophilic assistance, and cavity terms to solvent effects on t-butyl halide solvolysis rates". J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2. 1987 (7): 913–920. doi:10.1039/P29870000913.
- ^ Gajewski, JJ (2001). "Is the tert-Butyl Chloride Solvolysis the Most Misunderstood Reaction in Organic Chemistry? Evidence Against Nucleophilic Solvent Participation in the tert-Butyl Chloride Transition State and for Increased Hydrogen Bond Donation to the 1-Adamantyl Chloride Solvolysis Transition State". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123 (44): 10877–10883. doi:10.1021/ja010600d. PMID 11686689.
- Armentrout, P. B.; Simons, Jack (1992). "Understanding heterolytic bond cleavage". Journal-American Chemical Society. 114 (22): 8627–8633. doi:10.1021/ja00048a042.
Heterolysis (chemistry)
View on GrokipediaFundamentals
Definition
In chemistry, a covalent bond forms when two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons, resulting in a mutual attraction between the positively charged nuclei and the negatively charged electron density between them. This sharing creates a stable linkage, with the electron pair occupying a region of high density that holds the atoms together at a characteristic internuclear distance. Heterolysis, also known as heterolytic cleavage or fission, is the process by which a covalent bond breaks such that both electrons from the shared pair are retained by one of the two bonded atoms. This unequal division produces oppositely charged species: a cation and an anion, such as a carbocation and carbanion in organic chemistry contexts. The heterolytic nature arises from the inherent polarity in many covalent bonds, where electron distribution is uneven due to differences in atomic properties, favoring the transfer of the entire electron pair to one fragment.[4] For a generic covalent bond between atoms A and B, heterolysis is represented as A—B → A⁺ + B⁻ (or A⁻ + B⁺), with the direction determined by which atom is more electronegative and thus more likely to attract and retain the electron pair.[5] This contrasts with symmetric bond breaking, in which the shared electrons are equally divided, but heterolysis emphasizes the production of ions through this asymmetric electron assignment.[4]Bond Cleavage Characteristics
In heterolytic bond cleavage, the shared pair of electrons in a covalent bond is unequally distributed such that both electrons are retained by one of the bonded atoms, resulting in the formation of two oppositely charged species: an electron-deficient cation and an electron-rich anion.[6] This process contrasts with equal sharing in homolysis and typically occurs in polar bonds where the electron pair moves entirely to one fragment.[2] The direction of electron assignment during heterolysis is primarily governed by the relative electronegativities of the atoms involved, with the more electronegative atom acquiring both electrons to form the anion, while the less electronegative atom becomes the cation.[6] For instance, in carbon-halogen bonds (C—X, where X is a halogen), the halogen, being more electronegative than carbon, typically takes the electron pair, yielding a carbocation and a halide anion. This electronegativity-driven polarization facilitates the cleavage and determines the identity of the charged fragments.[7] The process is conventionally represented as A—B → A⁺ + :B⁻, where the colon denotes the lone pair on the anion, illustrating the complete transfer of the bonding electrons.[2] To depict the electron movement, curved arrow notation is employed in mechanistic diagrams: a double-barbed (full-headed) curved arrow originates from the bonding electron pair and points toward the atom that will bear the negative charge, signifying the flow of the electron pair during bond rupture.[6] This arrow-pushing formalism provides a visual tool for tracking electron reorganization, emphasizing that the electrons are not split but relocated as a unit to the more stable site.[6] As an immediate outcome, heterolysis generates highly reactive ionic intermediates, such as carbocations or carbanions, whose stability depends on the atomic composition of the fragments.[2] For example, a positive charge on a carbon atom (carbocation) is destabilized relative to one on a more electropositive element, while negative charges are more stable on highly electronegative atoms like halogens or oxygen.[7] These intermediates are prone to further reactions due to their electron imbalance, driving subsequent chemical transformations.[2]Comparison to Related Processes
Heterolysis versus Homolysis
Homolysis refers to the cleavage of a covalent bond in which the shared pair of electrons is divided equally between the two resulting fragments, producing two neutral species each with an unpaired electron, known as free radicals./09%3A_Free_Radical_Substitution_Reaction_of_Alkanes/9.01%3A_Homolytic_and_Heterolytic_Cleavage) This process can be represented as , where each atom retains one electron from the bond./09%3A_Free_Radical_Substitution_Reaction_of_Alkanes/9.01%3A_Homolytic_and_Heterolytic_Cleavage) In contrast, heterolysis involves the unequal division of the bonding electrons, with one fragment taking both electrons to form ions: a cation and an anion./09%3A_Free_Radical_Substitution_Reaction_of_Alkanes/9.01%3A_Homolytic_and_Heterolytic_Cleavage) This polar process generates charged species, whereas homolysis is non-polar and yields uncharged radicals./09%3A_Free_Radical_Substitution_Reaction_of_Alkanes/9.01%3A_Homolytic_and_Heterolytic_Cleavage) Heterolysis is typically favored in polar or ionizing solvents that stabilize the resulting ions through solvation, while homolysis predominates in non-polar environments, the gas phase, or under conditions like high temperature or light that promote radical formation without charge separation.[8]/09%3A_Free_Radical_Substitution_Reaction_of_Alkanes/9.01%3A_Homolytic_and_Heterolytic_Cleavage) The following table summarizes key differences between the two processes:| Aspect | Heterolysis | Homolysis |
|---|---|---|
| Electron Fate | Both electrons go to one fragment | One electron to each fragment |
| Products Formed | Cation and anion (ions) | Two radicals (neutral, unpaired electrons) |
| Typical Conditions | Polar solvents, solution phase | Non-polar solvents, gas phase, heat/light |
