medium · MCAT chem-phys

Why does the rate of S_N2 reactions decrease as the alkyl substrate changes from 1^circ to 2^circ to 3^circ?

  1. The nucleophile is more easily solvated.
  2. The carbocation intermediate becomes less stable.
  3. The leaving group becomes more tightly bound.
  4. Increasing steric hindrance destabilizes the pentacoordinate transition state.

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