Nature Communications (Jul 2022)
Unexpected steric hindrance failure in the gas phase F− + (CH3)3CI SN2 reaction
Abstract
Base-induced elimination (E2) and bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) are of significant importance in physical organic chemistry. Here, the authors show that the competing factor of E2 as opposed to steric hindrance determines the low reactivity of SN2 in the F− + (CH3)3CI reaction.