Organic reaction mechanisms (Ingold, Hughes)
Mecanismos de reacción orgánica (SN1/SN2, efectos electrónicos)
- Date
- 1930-1935 · confidence high
- Place
- University College London, England
- Credited to
- Christopher Ingold and Edward Hughes (with Robert Robinson)
- People
- 👤 Christopher Kelk Ingold1893–1970
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
Ingold introduces the electronic description of organic reactions: nucleophiles and electrophiles, inductive and mesomeric effects, and the SN1, SN2, E1, E2 substitution and elimination mechanisms, supported by kinetic and stereochemical evidence. Organic chemistry moves from a recipe book to a mechanistic science.
A long Ingold-Robinson rivalry over priority for the electronic theory of organic reactions.
What it led to
- Physical organic chemistry
- Rational synthesis design
- Medicinal chemistry
Built on
- Arrhenius equation and activation energy1889
- Covalent electron-pair bond and octet rule (Lewis)1916
- Lewis bond
- Robinson's electronic theory
Made possible
- Total synthesis of cholesterol and cortisone1951
- Retrosynthetic analysis (Corey)1967
- synthetic route planning