Question

Draw the mechanism for the reactions below (include lone pairs on all structures).

a) SN2 mechanism
b) E1 mechanism
c) E2 mechanism
d) SN1 mechanism

Answer 1

The decision of which mechanism, SN2, E2, SN1, or E1, a reaction will follow depends on the nature of the substrate, the nature of the nucleophile/base, and the solvent. For each mechanism, the corresponding reactions involve specific steps and intermediates.

Step-by-step explanation:

The decision of which mechanism, SN2, E2, SN1, or E1, a reaction will follow depends on several factors:

• Nature of the substrate: The structure of the substrate determines if SN2 or SN1 (or E2 or E1) will occur. For SN2, the substrate should be primary or methyl; for SN1, the substrate can be tertiary.
• Nature of the nucleophile/base: The nucleophile/base will determine if SN2 or E2 (or SN1 or E1) will take place. Stronger and bulkier nucleophiles/bases favor E2 (or E1) while smaller and less basic nucleophiles/bases favor SN2 (or SN1).
• Solvent: The nature of the solvent can also influence the mechanism choice. Polar aprotic solvents favor SN2 (or E2) while polar protic solvents favor SN1 (or E1).