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Please rank the following compounds in DECREASING order of their reactivity toward the SN2 reaction with sodium ethoxide in ethanol.

a. methyl chloride
b. isopropylbromide
c. t-butyliodide
d. methyl iodide
e. ethyl chloride

I have an answer, I'm just not sure if it is correct.

Benzyl chloride, through a primary halide, readily a precipitate when treated with 2% ethanolic silver nitrate. Why?

answer i need this help for my home work

No problem! I can help you with that. The SN2 reaction (substitution nucleophilic bimolecular) is a reaction in which a nucleophile replaces a leaving group in a molecule.

To determine the reactivity of the given compounds towards the SN2 reaction with sodium ethoxide in ethanol, we need to consider the following factors:

1. Nature of the leaving group: A better leaving group facilitates the SN2 reaction. In general, iodide > bromide > chloride.

2. Steric hindrance: Bulky groups hinder the approach of the nucleophile, reducing the reaction rate.

Based on these factors, we can rank the compounds in decreasing order of their reactivity towards the SN2 reaction:

1. t-butyliodide: This compound has the best leaving group (iodide) and the least steric hindrance due to the four bulky tert-butyl groups. Therefore, it is the most reactive.

2. isopropylbromide: This compound has a bromide as a leaving group, which is better than chlorine. It has some steric hindrance due to the presence of the isopropyl group.

3. ethyl chloride: This compound has chloride as a leaving group, which is less reactive than bromide. It has less steric hindrance compared to isopropylbromide.

4. methyl iodide: This compound has the best leaving group (iodide), but it has more steric hindrance due to the presence of the methyl group.

5. methyl chloride: This compound has the least reactive leaving group (chloride) and the least steric hindrance due to the small methyl group. Therefore, it is the least reactive.

So, the correct ranking of the compounds in decreasing reactivity towards the SN2 reaction with sodium ethoxide in ethanol is:

t-butyliodide > isopropylbromide > ethyl chloride > methyl iodide > methyl chloride

To rank the compounds in decreasing order of reactivity toward the SN2 reaction with sodium ethoxide in ethanol, we need to consider the factors that affect SN2 reactivity. These factors include steric hindrance, leaving group ability, and the strength of the nucleophile.

1. Steric hindrance: Compounds with larger substituents will experience greater steric hindrance, making them less reactive in SN2 reactions.

2. Leaving group ability: A good leaving group is a weak base. Compounds with better leaving groups are more reactive in SN2 reactions.

3. Nucleophile strength: A stronger nucleophile will be more reactive in SN2 reactions, as it can more effectively attack the electrophilic carbon.

Based on these factors, we can rank the compounds:

c. t-butyliodide - It has the largest substituent (tert-butyl) and is expected to exhibit the highest steric hindrance, making it the least reactive in the SN2 reaction.

b. isopropylbromide - It has a smaller substituent (isopropyl) than t-butyliodide, resulting in less steric hindrance and higher reactivity than t-butyliodide. However, it is still less reactive than the remaining compounds on the list.

e. ethyl chloride - It has a smaller steric hindrance compared to t-butyliodide and isopropylbromide, making it more reactive than both of them.

a. methyl chloride - It has the smallest substituent, resulting in the least steric hindrance among the listed compounds. This makes it more reactive than t-butyliodide, isopropylbromide, and ethyl chloride.

d. methyl iodide - It has the same small substituent as methyl chloride, but it contains a stronger leaving group (iodine) compared to chlorine. This increased leaving group ability makes methyl iodide more reactive than methyl chloride.

Therefore, the correct ranking in decreasing order of reactivity toward the SN2 reaction with sodium ethoxide in ethanol is: t-butyliodide > isopropylbromide > ethyl chloride > methyl chloride > methyl iodide.