Mechanism and Reactivity - Nucleophilic Substitution at an Alipahtic Tigonal Carbon:The Tetrahedral Mechanism

3 important questions on Mechanism and Reactivity - Nucleophilic Substitution at an Alipahtic Tigonal Carbon:The Tetrahedral Mechanism

What is the name of the second order mechanism that substitution reactions at a carbonyl group proceed by?

Tetrahedral mechanism ( this is not an Sn2 mechanism)

What are the steps of the tetrahedral mechanism?


1) Nucleophile attacks to give a tetrahedral intermdiate
2)electron pair from the oxygen moves down to reform the carbonyl and simultaneously kicks off the leaving group (X)

Which kinds of carbons are incapable of undergoing a tetrahedral mechanism?

Saturated carbons because there is no leaving group.

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