SN1 SN2 E1 Series: Video 6
Solvents play a key role in SN1 SN2 E1 and E2 reactions. But instead of memorizing, I want you to understand what makes a solvent polar, and what makes a polar solvent protic or aprotic.
By understanding how the solvent interacts with the intermediates you'll have an easier time predicting substitution and elimination reactions.
(Watch on YouTube: Solvents. Click CC on bottom right for transcript.)
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This is Video 6 in the Nucleophilic Substitution and Beta Elimination Video Series. Click HERE for the entire series.
Ready to test your substitution/elimination skills? Try my FREE SN1 SN2 E1 E2 Practice Quiz.
Thank you so much! You make O-chem so easy to understand, wish i had you teaching in lecture!
That was just awesome!!!!!U r d best chemistry teacher i ever came accross.I never understood these concepts before….just had to mug up these trends but always forgot them.I wont forget them now 4 sure…..Is it mandatory that a polar protic medium will favour an e2 rexn in any case??
In your video, you said that SN2 mechanism should be considered over on E2 with a polar aprotic solvent because the nucleophile has no hydrogen to attack in an aprotic solvent. Isn’t the nucleophile supposed to be attacking the hydrogen on the starting molecule and not the solvent?
Thank you!
This helped a lot! Thank you
The example for the polar protic solvent shows that the E2 reaction will occur in a polar protic solvent if the solvent is a mixture of acid and conjugate base ( like H2O and OH-). the presence of the conjugate base will prevent the solvent from hindering the nucleophilic attack.
Question: Why is E2 favored with the polar protic solvent and not SN2? If SN2 is also solved in a mixture of conjugate base and acid then the conjugate base could just as easily react with the nucleophile/conjugate base, right?
If a generic nucleophile was solved in water and a compound capable of SN2 or/and E2, the nucleophilic attack would be hindered for both types of reactions?