SN1 Pathway and Product Chirality

SN1 reactions can change the chirality of a product because the reaction goes through a carbocation intermediate. First, the bond between the electrophilic carbon and the leaving group ionizes. Then the nucleophile attacks the carbocation.

The carbocation formed in an SN1 reaction is sp2 hybridiz...

In nucleophilic substitution reactions, the stereochemical outcome of the product, that is,­ inversion or retention of configuration, can be studied if substitution occurs in a chiral substrate.

S_N2 reactions are stereospecific since the nucleophile directly attacks the substrate from the backside, which invariably results in a...