Question

Please explain the beta elimination?

Answer 1

I actually don't think this is about beta decay.

`\mathbf(beta)`-elimination is another name for second-order elimination, or `\mathbf(E2)`, where, for example, a hydrogen on a `beta`-carbon and the adjacent leaving group could be eliminated to generate a `pi` bond.

An example one-step `"E2"` reaction mechanism looks like this, where on the substrate, the proton is antiperiplanar to the leaving group `("Br")`:

The proton was eliminated from the `beta`-carbon, cleaving the `sp^2 "C"_(beta)-"H"` and `sp^2 "C"_(alpha)-"Br"` `sigma` bonds, and generating an `sp^2 "C"_(alpha)="C"_(beta)` `pi` bond. Therefore, this might also be known as `beta`-elimination.