Which of the following carbocations is highly UNSTABLE due to the orthogonal placement of its empty — GOC and Organic Chemistry Basics Chemistry Question
Question
Which of the following carbocations is highly UNSTABLE due to the orthogonal placement of its empty orbital relative to an adjacent $\pi$ -system?
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
In a vinylic carbocation, the positive charge resides on an $sp$ hybridized carbon. The empty orbital is perpendicular to the $\pi$ -bond, entirely preventing resonance stabilization. Placing a formal charge on a highly electronegative $sp$ carbon is thermodynamically unfavorable.
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