Why there isn't any unimolecular addition reaction?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on the mechanisms of unimolecular elimination and nucleophilic unimolecular substitution reactions in organic chemistry, highlighting the formation of a carbocation followed by nucleophilic attack. The question raised concerns why a similar mechanism does not apply to addition reactions involving double bonds. It suggests that breaking a bond in addition reactions could lead to charge separation, allowing nucleophiles or electrophiles to attack the resulting charged sites. However, it acknowledges that charged intermediates, like carbocations, are typically unstable. The inquiry also touches on the definitions of unimolecular and bimolecular reactions, emphasizing that unimolecular reactions have a rate dependent on a single species, while bimolecular reactions depend on two. The challenge presented is understanding how a reaction could exhibit unimolecular kinetics in the context of electrophilic addition to alkenes, where two reactants must interact.
Tahmeed
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In my textbook, i have read about unimolecular elimination and nucleophilic unimolecular substitution reaction of organic compounds. In those reactions, firstly one bond breaks automatically then as soon as a carbocation forms then a nucleophile attacks the carbocation to complete the reaction.

Now, my question is, why the same doesn't happen in case of addition reaction of molecules having double bond? one bond breaking may cause a charge separation and then nucleophile/electrophile can attack the positive or negative charged side? I know molecules with charge separation aren't supposed to be much stable. But even in the case of a carbocation the same happens.

I have googled for unimolecular addition reaction but all the results were about unimolecular substitution/elimination.
 
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"Unimolecular" and "bimolecular" refer to the kinetics of the reaction. In other words, in a unimolecular elimination/substitution, the reaction rate looks like:
$$\frac{d[A]}{dt} \propto k[A]$$
whereas a bimolecular reaction rate looks like:
$$\frac{d[A]}{dt} \propto k[A][ B] $$
How would you get a reaction rate that looks unimolecular for an electrophilic alkene addition reaction where two species have to come together?
 
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