Which reaction mechanism is primarily involved in the nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
Which reaction mechanism is primarily involved in the nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides?
SN1
SN2
E1
E2
The SN2 mechanism involves a direct nucleophilic attack on the alkyl halide, resulting in a one-step substitution reaction.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: Which reaction mechanism is primarily involved in the nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides?
Solution: The SN2 mechanism involves a direct nucleophilic attack on the alkyl halide, resulting in a one-step substitution reaction.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand what a nucleophile is. A nucleophile is a species that donates an electron pair to form a chemical bond.
Step 2: Know what an alkyl halide is. An alkyl halide is a compound where a halogen atom (like Cl, Br, or I) is attached to an alkyl group (a carbon chain).
Step 3: Learn about the SN2 mechanism. SN2 stands for 'Substitution Nucleophilic Bimolecular'.
Step 4: Recognize that in the SN2 mechanism, the nucleophile attacks the carbon atom of the alkyl halide directly.
Step 5: Understand that this attack happens in one step, where the nucleophile replaces the halogen atom.
Step 6: Conclude that the SN2 mechanism is the primary reaction mechanism for nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides.
