1. Dr. L. Sakthikumar M.Sc., M.Phil.,ph.d
Assistant professor in Chemistry,
Saiva Bhanu Kshatriya College,
Aruppukottai – 626101,
Tamilnadu
E-mail : lsakthisbk@gmail.com
1
2. NUCLEOPHILIC SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS
NUCLEOPHILES
The word nucleophile comes from nucleus, the
positive part of an atom, plus -phile from Greek word
philos meaning to love.
A nucleophile is any negative ion or any neutral
molecule that has at least one unshared electron
pair. Eg:
2
5. The SN2 reaction is a Substitution,
Nucleophilic, bimolecular reaction. The
transition state involves both the nucleophile and
the substrate, it accounts for the observed second-
order reaction rate.
The mechanism for SN2 reaction was proposed
by Edward D. Hughes and Sir Christopher Ingold
(the University College, London) in 1937.
5
6. The nucleophile attacks the carbon bearing the leaving group from the back
side.
The orbital that contains the electron pair of the nucleophile begins to overlap
with an empty (antibonding) orbital of the carbon bearing the leaving group.
The bond between the nucleophile and the carbon atom is forming, and the
bond between the carbon atom and the leaving group is breaking at the same
time.
Because bond formation and bond breaking occur simultaneously in a single
transition state, the SN2 reaction is a concerted reaction.
The configuration of the carbon atom becomes inverted during SN2 reaction.
The reaction is a exothermic reaction where the free energy value G is negative.
6
8. A free-energy diagram for a hypothetical SN2 reaction that
takes place with a negative value of G°
1. Most of the SN2 chemical reactions occur much more rapidly at higher
temperatures.
2. A reaction with a lower free energy of activation will occur very much
faster than a reaction with a higher one.
8
10. MECHANISM OF SN1 REACTION
The SN1 reaction is a Substitution, Nucleophilic and
Unimolecular. The reaction of tert-butyl chloride with
sodium hydroxide in a mixture of water and acetone to
form tert-butyl alcohol is a good example for SN1
reaction.
The rate of formation of tert-butyl alcohol is dependent
only on the concentration of tert-butyl chloride and
independent of the concentration of hydroxide ion.
The rate equation for this substitution reaction is first
order with respect to tert-butyl chloride.
10