Carbocation stability
Carbocation stability
Formula
Stability order: tertiary (R₃C⁺) > secondary (R₂CH⁺) > primary (RCH₂⁺) > methyl (CH₃⁺)
Real World
The petrochemical cracking process at BP's Grangemouth refinery produces branched-chain alkenes preferentially because rearrangement to more stable tertiary carbocation intermediates is energetically favoured.
Exam Focus
When explaining stability, explicitly name hyperconjugation and the inductive effect — stating 'alkyl groups donate electron density' alone is insufficient.
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