Organic Reaction Mechanism Explainer

Curly-arrow mechanism showing nucleophilic addition step by step with side-by-side analogues.

Prompt

Draw an organic chemistry reaction mechanism explainer for nucleophilic addition to a carbonyl.

Layout:
- A 3-row by 4-column grid.
- Rows: O nucleophile, N nucleophile, S nucleophile.
- Columns: 1) polarized carbonyl, 2) nucleophilic attack, 3) tetrahedral intermediate, 4) product.
- Show curved electron-pushing arrows in red for each mechanism step.
- Add partial charges on the carbonyl carbon and oxygen.
- Label the nucleophile, electrophilic carbon, tetrahedral intermediate, and leaving / proton-transfer step where relevant.

Style:
- Textbook-quality chemistry diagram on white background.
- Black skeletal structures, red curly arrows, subtle blue highlights for nucleophiles.
- Keep all molecules aligned and evenly spaced.
- Use concise labels and clear reaction arrows.
- Suitable for organic chemistry lectures, review articles, and mechanism figures.

Use in Generator

When to use

For organic chemistry teaching figures and mechanism review articles.

Variations

Single-row hydrolysis-only

Drop the N and S rows; show only the O nucleophile (water) hydrolysis pathway across the four steps. Useful for hydrolysis-focused lectures.

Tips

Use red consistently for curly arrows. Mixed colors confuse mechanism reading.
Show partial charges (delta+, delta-) on the carbonyl. Without them, readers miss the polarisation rationale.
Use a grid (rows = nucleophile, columns = step). It makes the analogy explicit.

FAQ

Can I add transition states?

Insert a transition-state column between attack and tetrahedral intermediate. Draw the partial bonds with dotted lines.