Pure (S)-2-bromo-2-fluorobutane reacts with methoxide ion in methanol to give a mixture of (S)-2-fluoro-2-methoxybutane and three fluoroalkenes.
b. Propose a mechanism to show how (S)-2-bromo-2-fluorobutane reacts to give (S)-2-fluoro-2-methoxybutane. Has this reaction gone with retention or inversion of configuration?
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1
Identify the nucleophile and the leaving group in the reaction. In this case, the methoxide ion (CH3O-) acts as the nucleophile, and the bromine atom in (S)-2-bromo-2-fluorobutane is the leaving group.
Consider the mechanism of the reaction. Since methoxide is a strong nucleophile and the substrate is a secondary alkyl halide, the reaction likely proceeds via an SN2 mechanism. This involves a backside attack by the nucleophile on the carbon bonded to the leaving group.
Visualize the stereochemistry of the SN2 reaction. The backside attack by the nucleophile leads to inversion of configuration at the carbon center where the reaction occurs. This means that if the original configuration was (S), it will change to (R) after the reaction.
Write the chemical equation for the formation of the product. The methoxide ion attacks the carbon bonded to the bromine, leading to the departure of the bromine atom and formation of (R)-2-fluoro-2-methoxybutane.
Conclude the configuration change. Since the reaction involves an SN2 mechanism with inversion of configuration, the product formed, (R)-2-fluoro-2-methoxybutane, has the opposite configuration to the starting material, (S)-2-bromo-2-fluorobutane.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Nucleophilic Substitution Mechanism
Nucleophilic substitution is a fundamental reaction in organic chemistry where a nucleophile attacks an electrophile, resulting in the replacement of a leaving group. In this case, the methoxide ion acts as the nucleophile, attacking the carbon atom bonded to the bromine in (S)-2-bromo-2-fluorobutane. Understanding whether the reaction follows an SN1 or SN2 pathway is crucial for predicting the stereochemical outcome.
Nucleophiles and Electrophiles can react in Substitution Reactions.
Stereochemistry and Configuration
Stereochemistry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in molecules and how this affects their chemical behavior. The configuration of chiral centers can be either retained or inverted during reactions. In this scenario, determining whether the reaction leads to retention or inversion of configuration is essential for understanding the stereochemical outcome of the product (S)-2-fluoro-2-methoxybutane.
Chirality is a property of molecules that have non-superimposable mirror images, often due to the presence of chiral centers. Optical activity is the ability of chiral compounds to rotate plane-polarized light, which is a key characteristic of enantiomers. In this reaction, the chirality of the starting material (S)-2-bromo-2-fluorobutane influences the chirality of the product, making it important to analyze how the reaction affects optical activity.