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

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

What is the main 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 has a carbon atom bonded to a halogen (the leaving group).
Step 2: Recognize the nucleophile, which is a species that has a lone pair of electrons and can donate them to form a bond.
Step 3: Understand that in an SN2 reaction, the nucleophile approaches the carbon atom that is bonded to the halogen.
Step 4: The nucleophile attacks the carbon atom from the opposite side of the leaving group, creating a transition state.
Step 5: As the nucleophile forms a bond with the carbon, the bond between the carbon and the halogen breaks, allowing the halogen to leave.
Step 6: The result is a new molecule where the nucleophile is now bonded to the carbon, and the halogen has been displaced.

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