Question

What are the products of the following reaction?

• A. The reaction is an example of syn-coplanar elimination
• B. Elimination does not happen
• C. The reaction is an example of anti-periplanar elimination
• D. None of the above. A substitution product is the major product.

Answer 1

The correct option is A

The reaction is an example of syn-coplanar elimination

Usually E2 requires that the carbon-hydrogen and carbon-bromine bonds be anti-periplanar. In this case, such an arrangement is impossible
owing to the bicyclo nature. Here the elimination is syn-coplanar – meaning the carbon-hydrogen and the carbon-bromine bonds are in the
same plane and on the same side.