An elimination reaction removes groups from a substrate while forming a new multiple bond. Removing a hydrogen and a leaving group from neighboring carbons can produce an alkene.
An E2 elimination combines bond cleavage and bond formation in one elementary step; an E1 elimination passes through an intermediate, usually a carbocation. These alternatives predict different rate laws and stereochemical requirements. In a concerted elimination, orbital alignment can make an antiperiplanar conformation decisive, linking product formation to molecular geometry.
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