Learning Objective: To study the two methods of how carbocation forms.
Skill Level - Intermediate
Prerequisites:
Chapter: Reactive Intermediates
Sub-topic: Carbocation
Author's Note: Carbon a naturally tetravalent element, loses one of its four bonds to form a carbocation. Carbocation formation is an intermediate and in-situ step generating electrophile. Two common methods that lead to carbocation formation are mentioned in this article. The previous article covers carbocation's introduction, electron count, structure, and types.
Formation of Carbocation
1) Heterolytic Bond Cleavage
The carbocations are formed due to heterolytic bond cleavage, a type of bond breaking. In heterolytic bond cleavage, the two electrons covalent bond joining two atoms breaks unequally. Post breakage, the two bond electrons rest only with one atom (carbanion), leaving the other atom electron-deficient (carbocation).

Such heterolytic bond cleavages are part of several reaction intermediates in organic chemistry. For example, the ...
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2) Addition on an Unsaturated System
A proton or another positive specie (an electrophile) adds to....
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