What is the mechanism of the reaction between an alkyl halide and a nucleophile

What is the mechanism of the reaction between an alkyl halide and a nucleophile in a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction?

What is the mechanism of the reaction between an alkyl halide and a nucleophile in a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction?

Step 1: Identify the alkyl halide, which is a molecule containing a carbon atom bonded to a halogen (like Cl, Br, or I).
Step 2: Identify the nucleophile, which is a molecule or ion that has a pair of electrons to donate and can attack the carbon atom.
Step 3: The nucleophile approaches the carbon atom that is bonded to the halogen from the side opposite to the halogen. This is called a 'backside attack'.
Step 4: As the nucleophile gets closer, it starts to form a bond with the carbon atom, while the bond between the carbon and the halogen begins to break.
Step 5: The halogen leaves as a halide ion (like Cl-, Br-, or I-), completing the reaction.
Step 6: The result is that the nucleophile is now bonded to the carbon atom, and the configuration of the carbon atom is inverted (like flipping a mirror image).

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