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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: nitelychos on March 17, 2012, 12:02:18 PM

Title: nucleophilic substitution
Post by: nitelychos on March 17, 2012, 12:02:18 PM

so if 1-bromo-3 -chloropropane was allowed to react with one molar equivalent of sodium cyanide in aqueous ethanol. what is the product?
i understand that the nucleophile in this case would be CN- which would substitute the bromine in 1-bromo-3-chloropropane to make it 1-cyano-3-chloropropane, but what does the aqueous ethanol have to do with anything?

Title: Re: nucleophilic substitution
Post by: discodermolide on March 17, 2012, 12:03:55 PM

Quote from: nitelychos on March 17, 2012, 12:02:18 PM

so if 1-bromo-3 -chloropropane was allowed to react with one molar equivalent of sodium cyanide in aqueous ethanol. what is the product?
i understand that the nucleophile in this case would be CN- which would substitute the bromine in 1-bromo-3-chloropropane to make it 1-cyano-3-chloropropane, but what does the aqueous ethanol have to do with anything?

I would imagine it's for solubility reasons (NaCN). And facilitates the precipitation of NaBr.