Questions: Which of the following two amides will react more readily with a nucleophile? Why? Multiple Choice 1, because it is less hindered II, because it is less hindered 1, because it is more strained II, because it is more strained

Solution Steps

The two amides in question are:

1. Acyclic amide (left structure)
2. Cyclic amide (right structure)

Steric hindrance refers to the crowding around the reactive site of a molecule. The acyclic amide has less steric hindrance compared to the cyclic amide because the cyclic structure restricts the spatial arrangement of atoms, making it more crowded.

Ring strain occurs in cyclic compounds due to the angles between bonds being forced to deviate from their ideal values. The cyclic amide has more ring strain compared to the acyclic amide, making it more reactive as the molecule is under more stress and thus more likely to react to relieve this strain.

Final Answer