Explain why alkyl groups act as electron donors when attached to a
Alkyl group has no lone pair of electrons but it acts as an electron donor when attached to a - electron system because of hyperconjugation. Carbon is slightly more electronegative than hydrogen. Thus, the carbon atom in an alkyl group has higher electron density around it as compared with an H atom. As a result, alkyl group are able to donate electrons inductively when attached to a pi system. Let us illustrate this by taking an example of propylene. The various resonating structures are as follows: