Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

SN2 Reaction: Mechanism02:27

SN2 Reaction: Mechanism

19.0K
The kinetic studies of SN2 reactions suggest an essential feature of its mechanism: it is a single-step process without intermediates. Here, both the nucleophile and the substrate participate in the rate-determining step.
The presence of the more electronegative halogen in the substrate creates a polarized carbon-halide bond. The halide pulls the electron cloud generating an electrophilic center at the carbon atom. Thus, the carbon atom carries a partial positive charge while the halide has a...
19.0K
SN2 Reaction: Stereochemistry02:23

SN2 Reaction: Stereochemistry

13.0K
In an SN2 reaction, the nucleophilic attack on the substrate and departure of the leaving group occurs simultaneously through a transition state. As the nucleophile approaches the substrate from the back-side, the configuration of the substrate carbon changes from tetrahedral to trigonal bipyramidal and then back to tetrahedral, leading to an inversion in the configuration of the product.
If the substrate is an achiral molecule at the α-carbon, the inversion of configuration is not...
13.0K
SN1 Reaction: Mechanism02:25

SN1 Reaction: Mechanism

15.6K
Kinetic studies of ionization of a tertiary halide in a protic solvent suggest that only the substrate participates in the rate-determining step (slow step). The nucleophile is involved only after the slowest step. The SN1 reaction takes place in a multiple-step mechanism. 
Firstly, the haloalkane ionizes to generate a carbocation intermediate and a halide ion. This heterolytic cleavage is highly endothermic with large activation energy. The ionization of the substrate, facilitated by a...
15.6K
SN2 Reaction: Kinetics02:14

SN2 Reaction: Kinetics

10.9K
Kinetic Studies and Significance
In a chemical reaction, a relationship exists between the concentration of reactants and the rate at which the reaction proceeds. The study to measure this relationship is known as the kinetics of a chemical reaction. Kinetic studies are used to deduce the rate law of a chemical reaction, which provides information about the species involved during the transition state of the rate-determining step. Thus, kinetic studies help to derive the mechanism of a...
10.9K
SN2 Reaction: Transition State02:26

SN2 Reaction: Transition State

13.1K
An SN2 reaction of an alkyl halide is a single-step process in which bond formation between the nucleophile and the substrate and bond breaking between the substrate and the halide occurs simultaneously through a transition state without forming an intermediate.
When the nucleophile approaches the electrophilic carbon with its lone pairs, the halide acts as a leaving group and moves away with the electron-pair bonded to the carbon. Dotted partial bonds represent the bonds being formed or broken...
13.1K
Predicting Products: SN1 vs. SN202:27

Predicting Products: SN1 vs. SN2

17.7K
Nucleophilic substitution reactions of alkyl halides can proceed via an SN1 or an SN2 mechanism. While in SN2 reactions, the nucleophile attacks the substrate simultaneously as the leaving group departs, in SN1 reactions, the substrate first dissociates to give the carbocation intermediate. Various factors such as the structure of the substrate, the strength of the nucleophile, and the nature of the solvent promote one mechanism over the other.
With increased substitution on the alkyl halide,...
17.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Engineering halide composition to control structural and electronic properties in bismuth-based perovskite-inspired materials.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same author

Dispersed vs. Covalently Integrated Benzothioxanthene Emitters in Sustainable Luminescent Solar Concentrators.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
Same author

Turning Stress Into Signal: Mechanochromic Materials in Commodity and Technologically Relevant Polymers.

Chemistry, an Asian journal·2026
Same author

Weak Noncovalent Interactions in Nonequilibrium Structures: How Good Are the Dispersion Corrections?

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026
Same author

Toward a mechanistic understanding of bioluminescence: a theoretical study of furimazine oxidation and luminescence.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025
Same author

Emission Using Adaptable Range Separated Hybrids: Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters as Test Case.

Journal of computational chemistry·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Optimization of the Ugi Reaction Using Parallel Synthesis and Automated Liquid Handling
08:24

Optimization of the Ugi Reaction Using Parallel Synthesis and Automated Liquid Handling

Published on: November 11, 2008

17.0K

Comparative Static and Dynamic Study of a Prototype SN2 Reaction.

Laurent Joubert1, Michele Pavone1, Vincenzo Barone1

  • 1Laboratoire d'Electrochimie et de Chimie Analytique, UMR CNRS 7575, Ecole Nationale SupĂ©rieure de Chimie de Paris, 11, rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France, and Laboratorio di Struttura e Dinamica Molecolare, Dipartimento di Chimica, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.

Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
|December 3, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study used advanced simulations to analyze bond formation in chemical reactions. Dynamic quantum chemical topology analysis revealed stronger electron exchange during ion-molecule complex formation.

More Related Videos

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
09:42

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

9.5K
Technical Aspect of the Automated Synthesis and Real-Time Kinetic Evaluation of [11C]SNAP-7941
09:50

Technical Aspect of the Automated Synthesis and Real-Time Kinetic Evaluation of [11C]SNAP-7941

Published on: April 28, 2019

8.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Optimization of the Ugi Reaction Using Parallel Synthesis and Automated Liquid Handling
08:24

Optimization of the Ugi Reaction Using Parallel Synthesis and Automated Liquid Handling

Published on: November 11, 2008

17.0K
Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
09:42

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

9.5K
Technical Aspect of the Automated Synthesis and Real-Time Kinetic Evaluation of [11C]SNAP-7941
09:50

Technical Aspect of the Automated Synthesis and Real-Time Kinetic Evaluation of [11C]SNAP-7941

Published on: April 28, 2019

8.1K

Area of Science:

  • Computational Chemistry
  • Quantum Chemistry
  • Chemical Dynamics

Background:

  • Understanding chemical reaction mechanisms is crucial in chemistry.
  • The SN2 reaction, exemplified by Walden inversion, is a fundamental organic transformation.
  • Quantum Chemical Topology (QCT) offers insights into bonding and electronic structure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the bond formation process in a prototypical SN2 reaction using ab initio molecular dynamics.
  • To analyze Quantum Chemical Topology (QCT) properties along a dynamic trajectory.
  • To compare dynamic QCT analysis with static approaches.

Main Methods:

  • Ab initio molecular-dynamic simulations employing density functional theory (DFT) and the atom-centered density-matrix propagation (ADMP) method.
  • Real space partition schemes for electronic density and electron localization function (ELF) gradient fields.
  • Bader's atoms-in-molecules (AIM) theory for atomic charge analysis.
  • Comparison with static QCT properties from the intrinsic reaction path (IRP).

Main Results:

  • QCT properties were analyzed along the ADMP trajectory, revealing charge transfers and bond formation dynamics.
  • Atomic charges (AIM) and electronic population of bonding basins (ELF) provided insights into electron dynamics.
  • Dynamic QCT analysis explained differences in ion-molecule complex formation compared to static methods.
  • Stronger electron exchange was observed, maximizing covalent and noncovalent interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Dynamic QCT analysis provides a more detailed understanding of reaction mechanisms than static approaches.
  • The study elucidates the electron dynamics governing bond formation in SN2 reactions.
  • Simulations suggest enhanced interactions due to dynamic electron exchange during complex formation.