Learning Objective: To learn about various methods by which a carbanion reacts with other positive centers in organic chemical reactions.
Skill Level - Advanced
Prerequisites:
Name Reactions
Leaving Groups (Chapter - Fundamentals of an Organic Reaction)
Chapter: Reactive Intermediates
Sub-topic: Carbanion
Author's Note: A carbanion is an electron-negatively charged species that reacts to a positive-charged center or an empty orbital. This section covers the various positions where a carbanion attack, the structural requirement, and the final product. Some attacks are very predictable and are part of name reactions like Grignard, Aldol, etc.
Fate of the Carbanion
The most common reaction of carbanion is a combination with a positive specie, mostly a proton. In such cases, carbanion acts as a base.
Any other species that can accommodate the carbanion must have empty orbitals like sulphur, as seen in Lewis acid-base reaction.

Carbanions can form a bond with other carbon atoms by the displacement reaction (SN2)....
Carbanions also show 1,4 additions where....
If the carbanion formed is next to a ...
Subscribe to learn about the fate of a carbanion in organic reactions.
