Understanding E1 Mechanism in Organic Chemistry

If you ever see heat and a weak base on an exam — your brain should scream E1.

“E1 stands for Elimination, unimolecular, and it happens in two steps. Step one is the

slow step: The leaving group leaves first, forming a carbocation. Step two:

A weak base removes a proton, forming a double bond. Because a carbocation

forms, tertiary substrates work best, and rearrangements can happen — hydride

shifts and methyl shifts are fair game. E1 is favored by: • Heat

• Weak bases • Polar protic solvents And the big exam giveaway? E1 often competes

with SN1, but higher temperature pushes elimination. Remember: Carbocation → rearrangements