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Is NaOH a strong base or nucleophile in an SN2 reaction?

A) Strong base
B) Weak base
C) Strong nucleophile
D) Weak nucleophile

1 Answer

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Final answer:

NaOH is a strong base and a strong nucleophile in SN2 reactions, as it is fully ionized in solution and readily donates its electrons to electron-deficient carbons.

Step-by-step explanation:

NaOH is both a strong base and a strong nucleophile in chemical reactions. Regarding its basicity, NaOH is one of the few strong bases, meaning it is 100% ionized in solution, releasing hydroxide ions (OH-) readily. For nucleophilicity, although there can be a difference between basicity and nucleophilicity, NaOH generally serves as a strong nucleophile as it readily donates its lone pair of electrons to an electron-deficient carbon in SN2 reactions.

The correct answer to the question is, therefore, NaOH is a strong base (A) when functioning in an acid-base context and a strong nucleophile (C) when participating in nucleophilic substitution reactions like SN2.

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