Inchemistry, anaddition-elimination reaction is a two-step reaction process of anaddition reaction followed by anelimination reaction. This gives an overall effect ofsubstitution, and is themechanism of the commonnucleophilic acyl substitution often seen withesters,amides, and related structures.[1]
Another common type of addition–elimination is the reversible reaction ofamines withcarbonyls to formimines in thealkylimino-de-oxo-bisubstitution reaction, and the analogous reaction of interconversion imines with alternate amine reactants.
The hydrolysis ofnitriles tocarboxylic acids is also a form of addition-elimination.