Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Nucleophilic Substitution
Nucleophilic substitution is a fundamental reaction in organic chemistry where a nucleophile attacks an electrophile, resulting in the replacement of a leaving group. In the case of 1-bromobutane reacting with ammonia, the ammonia acts as a nucleophile, attacking the carbon atom bonded to the bromine, leading to the formation of an amine.
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Transition State
The transition state is a high-energy, unstable arrangement of atoms that occurs during a chemical reaction. It represents the point at which reactants are transformed into products. In this reaction, the transition state would involve the partial bond formation between the nitrogen of ammonia and the carbon of 1-bromobutane, as well as the partial bond breaking of the C-Br bond.
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Deprotonation
Deprotonation is the removal of a proton (H+) from a molecule, resulting in the formation of a base. In this reaction, after the initial product (RNH3+ Br−) is formed, the excess ammonia deprotonates the ammonium salt to yield the neutral amine. This step is crucial for obtaining the final product and illustrates the role of ammonia as both a nucleophile and a base.
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