Zaitsev's rule

English

Alternative forms

• Saytseff's rule

Etymology

Named after Russian chemist Alexander Zaitsev.

Proper noun

Zaitsev's rule

1. (chemistry) An empirical rule for predicting the favoured alkene product(s) in elimination reactions. The alkene formed in greatest amount is the one that corresponds to removal of the hydrogen from the β-carbon having the fewest hydrogen substituents.