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Does the solvent determine whether an alkyl halide will undergo an SN1 or an SN2 reaction?

Answer 1

Not just the evaporator

The nucleophilicity and basicity of the nucleophyle, the steric hindrance surrounding the putative carbon, and the type of solvent—protic solvents favoring SN1—determine the type of nucleophilic substitution.

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Answer 2

Emilia Alvarez

Yes, the solvent plays a crucial role in determining whether an alkyl halide will undergo an SN1 or an SN2 reaction. Polar protic solvents favor SN1 reactions, while polar aprotic solvents favor SN2 reactions.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.