Reactive intermediates: carbocations, carbanions, free radicals, carbenes and nitrenes - Question Bank

1. Which reactive intermediate has a pyramidal geometry at the central carbon atom?
A) Carbocation
B) Carbene
C) Carbanion
D) Free radical
2. The Kolbe electrolysis of carboxylic acids produces:
A) Alcohols
B) Aldehydes
C) Alkanes
D) Ketones
3. Which reactive intermediate is characterized by a carbon atom with a lone pair and two bonds?
A) Carbocation
B) Carbene
C) Carbanion
D) Free radical
4. Which of the following is a resonance-stabilized carbocation?
A) Methyl carbocation
B) Ethyl carbocation
C) Allyl carbocation
D) Isopropyl carbocation
5. The Tiffeneau-Demjanov rearrangement is a type of:
A) Carbocation rearrangement
B) Carbanion rearrangement
C) Free radical rearrangement
D) Carbene rearrangement
6. Which statement about triplet carbenes is correct?
A) They have paired electrons with opposite spins.
B) They have unpaired electrons with parallel spins.
C) They are diamagnetic.
D) They are more reactive than singlet carbenes in addition reactions.
7. The nucleophilic addition to carbonyl compounds often involves the formation of:
A) Carbocation
B) Carbanion
C) Free radical
D) Carbene
8. Which intermediate is planar and has an empty p orbital?
A) Carbanion
B) Carbocation
C) Free radical
D) Nitrene
9. The Hunt-Shorter rearrangement is a type of:
A) Carbocation rearrangement
B) Carbanion rearrangement
C) Free radical rearrangement
D) Carbene rearrangement
10. Which reaction involves the generation of a free radical from an azo compound?
A) Baeyer-Villiger oxidation
B) AIBN decomposition
C) Claisen rearrangement
D) Diels-Alder reaction
11. The stability of a carbanion is increased by:
A) Electron-donating groups
B) Electron-withdrawing groups
C) Steric hindrance
D) Aromaticity
12. Which of the following is an example of a tertiary carbocation?
A) (CH3)2CH+
B) CH3CH2+
C) (CH3)3C+
D) CH3+
13. The Fischer indole synthesis involves the cyclization of a phenylhydrazone, which can be thought of as involving:
A) A carbocation intermediate
B) A nitrene intermediate
C) A free radical intermediate
D) A carbene intermediate
14. In organic synthesis, which intermediate is often generated using organometallic reagents?
A) Carbocation
B) Carbanion
C) Free radical
D) Carbene
15. The insertion reactions of carbenes into C-H bonds are characteristic of:
A) Singlet carbenes
B) Triplet carbenes
C) Both singlet and triplet carbenes
D) Nitrenes
16. Which of the following is a resonance-stabilized carbanion?
A) Methyl carbanion
B) Ethyl carbanion
C) Acetylide anion
D) tert-Butyl carbanion
17. The stability order of free radicals is generally similar to that of:
A) Carbocations
B) Carbanions
C) Carbenes
D) Nitrenes
18. Which reactive intermediate is involved in the Wurtz reaction?
A) Carbocation
B) Carbanion
C) Free radical
D) Carbene
19. The Schmidt reaction involves the reaction of a ketone or aldehyde with:
A) Hydrazoic acid
B) Hydrozoic acid
C) Hydrazine
D) Hydroxylamine
20. A carbene with two identical substituents on the carbon atom is called:
A) A singlet carbene
B) A triplet carbene
C) A symmetrical carbene
D) An unsymmetrical carbene
21. The term 'radical scavenger' refers to a substance that:
A) Generates free radicals
B) Reacts with and neutralizes free radicals
C) Stabilizes carbocations
D) Stabilizes carbanions
22. The carbon atom in a carbanion is typically hybridized:
A) sp3
B) sp2
C) sp
D) d
23. Which reagent is commonly used to generate free radicals from peroxides?
A) Strong acid
B) Strong base
C) Heat or light
D) Reducing agent
24. The stability of carbanions decreases with the introduction of:
A) Electron-donating groups
B) Electron-withdrawing groups
C) Alkyl groups
D) Aromatic groups
25. Which of the following is an electrophile?
A) Carbanion
B) Carbene
C) Carbocation
D) Free radical
26. The Wolff rearrangement converts an alpha-diazoketone into:
A) An ester or amide
B) A ketone
C) An aldehyde
D) An alcohol
27. Dichlorocarbene (:CCl2) is an example of:
A) A singlet carbene
B) A triplet carbene
C) A nitrene
D) A carbanion
28. The addition of halogens to alkenes often proceeds via a:
A) Carbanion intermediate
B) Carbocation intermediate
C) Free radical intermediate
D) Nitrene intermediate
29. Which of the following is a strong nucleophile and a strong base?
A) Carbocation
B) Free radical
C) Carbanion
D) Carbene
30. Which carbocation is least stable?
A) Benzyl carbocation
B) Allyl carbocation
C) Methyl carbocation
D) tert-Butyl carbocation
31. The Hofmann rearrangement is initiated by the formation of:
A) A carbene
B) A nitrene
C) A carbocation
D) A free radical
32. The geometry around the carbon atom in a carbene is typically:
A) Linear
B) Trigonal planar
C) Tetrahedral
D) Pyramidal
33. Which of the following would most readily undergo homolytic cleavage?
A) CH3-Cl
B) CH3-CH3
C) CH3-OH
D) CH3-NH2
34. The negative charge in a carbanion is localized on:
A) The carbon atom
B) An adjacent atom
C) A heteroatom
D) The counterion
35. Which statement about carbocations is FALSE?
A) They are electron-deficient species.
B) They are planar molecules.
C) They are hybridized sp3.
D) They are stabilized by electron-donating groups.
36. The Curtius rearrangement involves the formation of which reactive intermediate?
A) Carbene
B) Nitrene
C) Carbocation
D) Free radical
37. Which of the following is a triplet carbene?
A) Dichlorocarbene
B) Methylene (CH2)
C) Dimethylcarbene
D) Diphenylcarbene
38. The stability of carbanions follows the order:
A) tert-Butyl < Isopropyl < Ethyl < Methyl
B) Methyl < Ethyl < Isopropyl < tert-Butyl
C) tert-Butyl < Methyl < Ethyl < Isopropyl
D) Methyl < tert-Butyl < Isopropyl < Ethyl
39. Which species is resonance stabilized?
A) tert-Butyl carbocation
B) Allyl carbocation
C) Methyl carbocation
D) Isopropyl carbocation
40. The hybridization of the carbon atom in a methyl carbocation (CH3+) is:
A) sp3
B) sp2
C) sp
D) s
41. Which of the following is a common method for generating free radicals?
A) Reaction with strong bases
B) Reaction with strong acids
C) Homolysis induced by heat or light
D) Nucleophilic substitution
42. Singlet carbenes have their two non-bonding electrons in:
A) Two different orbitals with opposite spins
B) The same orbital with opposite spins
C) Two different orbitals with parallel spins
D) The same orbital with parallel spins
43. Homolytic cleavage of a covalent bond leads to the formation of:
A) Carbocations
B) Carbanions
C) Free radicals
D) Carbenes
44. Which of the following is an example of a carbanion?
A) CH3+
B) CH3-
C) CH3.
D) CH2
45. The stability order of carbocations from least to most stable is:
A) tert-Butyl > Isopropyl > Ethyl > Methyl
B) Methyl < Ethyl < Isopropyl < tert-Butyl
C) Isopropyl < tert-Butyl < Methyl < Ethyl
D) Ethyl < Methyl < tert-Butyl < Isopropyl
46. Nitrenes are the nitrogen analogues of:
A) Carbocations
B) Carbanions
C) Carbenes
D) Free radicals
47. Carbenes are neutral molecules with a carbon atom having:
A) Two bonding electrons and a lone pair
B) Two bonding electrons and an unpaired electron
C) Three bonding electrons and a lone pair
D) Three bonding electrons and an unpaired electron
48. Free radicals are characterized by the presence of:
A) A lone pair of electrons
B) An unpaired electron
C) A positive charge
D) A negative charge
49. Carbanions are typically formed by the abstraction of which type of hydrogen atom?
A) Acidic hydrogen
B) Alkene hydrogen
C) Alkyne hydrogen
D) Hydroxyl hydrogen
50. Which of the following is the most stable carbocation?
A) Methyl carbocation
B) Ethyl carbocation
C) Isopropyl carbocation
D) tert-Butyl carbocation