Catalysis

Electrophile

Embedded system

Transition state

Leaving group

Carbon atom

SN2 reaction

Solvent

Computer science

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution

Stereochemistry

Medicinal chemistry

Organic chemistry

Nucleophile

Atom (system on chip)

Substitution reaction

Computational chemistry

Chemistry

Solvent effects

Group (periodic table)

Nucleophilic substitution

Carbon group

Ring (chemistry)

ChemPhysChem

The reaction potential energy surface (PES), and thus the mechanism of bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (S N 2), depends profoundly on the nature of the nucleophile and leaving group, but also on the central, electrophilic atom, its substituents, as well as on the medium in which the reaction takes place. Here, we provide an overview of recent studies and demonstrate how changes in any one of the aforementioned factors affect the S N 2 mechanism. One of the most striking effects is the transition from a double‐well to a single‐well PES when the central atom is changed from a second‐period (e. g. carbon) to a higher‐period element (e.g, silicon, germanium). Variations in nucleophilicity, leaving group ability, and bulky substituents around a second‐row element central atom can then be exploited to change the single‐well PES back into a double‐well. Reversely, these variations can also be used to produce a single‐well PES for second‐period elements, for example, a stable pentavalent carbon species.

Nucleophilic Substitution (S<sub>N</sub>2): Dependence on Nucleophile, Leaving Group, Central Atom, Substituents, and Solvent

Nucleophilic Substitution (SN2): Dependence on Nucleophile, Leaving Group, Central Atom, Substituents, and Solvent

Nucleophilic Substitution (S_N2): Dependence on Nucleophile, Leaving Group, Central Atom, Substituents, and Solvent