Final answer:
In an SN₂ reaction, a nucleophile attacks an electrophilic carbon of the substrate causing the leaving group to depart and forming inversion of stereochemistry. The choice between SN₂, E2, SN1, or E1 mechanisms relies on various factors including the nature of the nucleophile and substrate, solvent, and temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drawing the SN₂ Reaction Products and Identifying Components
To address the student's request for the SN₂ reaction, it's important to understand that SN₂ stands for bimolecular nucleophilic substitution, where a nucleophile attacks the electrophilic carbon of a substrate from the opposite side of the leaving group, leading to inversion of stereochemistry. The organic and inorganic products of an SN₂ reaction vary according to the specific reactants involved. If the substrate, for instance, is an alkyl halide and the nucleophile is a hydroxide ion, the organic product would be an alcohol and the inorganic product would be a halide ion.
Nucleophiles (Nu) are species with a pair of electrons ready to form a new bond with an electrophilic center, and they can be negatively charged (like OH⁻, CN⁻) or neutral (like NH₃). The substrate is the molecule containing the electrophilic center that the nucleophile attacks, usually an alkyl halide or similar species with a good leaving group attached. The leaving group (X) is a part of the substrate that departs with a pair of electrons, forming a new ion or molecule in the process. In the given examples like CH₃CH₂-OH + HBr ⇒ CH₃CH₂-Br + H₂O, the leaving group is Br⁻.
Choosing between SN₂, E2, SN1 or E1 mechanisms depends on several factors like the strength and steric hindrance of the nucleophile and substrate, nature of the solvent, steric effects, leaving group ability, and temperature. Substitution reactions like SN₂ and SN1 involve a direct replacement of the leaving group by the nucleophile, and the key difference lies in the reaction kinetics and conditions favoring each mechanism.