A bimolecular nucleophilic substitution () reaction taking place at a chiral center of an alkyl hali — Reaction Mechanism Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

An $S_N2$ reaction is a single-step concerted process where the incoming nucleophile attacks the electrophilic carbon exactly from the side opposite to the departing leaving group. This backside attack forces the remaining three bonds to flip, resulting in a complete stereochemical inversion, commonly known as Walden inversion.