A novel stereochemistry retention mechanism in the SN2 reaction

Zhexuan Song; Hong Gao; Jing Xie

doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72120-5

A novel stereochemistry retention mechanism in the S_N2 reaction

Zhexuan Song
, Hong Gao^*
, Jing Xie^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Beijing Institute of Technology
CAS - Institute of Chemistry
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate

Abstract

A recent study by Lu et al. reports the nucleophilic substitution reaction between Cl^‒ and (CH₃)₃CI can proceed via a flip-over mechanism — a new type of S_N2 pathway that retains configuration, discovered through simulations on a full-dimensional potential energy surface.

Original language	English
Article number	3946
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	17
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72120-5
Publication status	Published - Dec 2026
Externally published	Yes

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-026-72120-5

Cite this

@article{320598121009464a8756189f64efe078,

title = "A novel stereochemistry retention mechanism in the SN2 reaction",

abstract = "A recent study by Lu et al. reports the nucleophilic substitution reaction between Cl‒ and (CH3)3CI can proceed via a flip-over mechanism — a new type of SN2 pathway that retains configuration, discovered through simulations on a full-dimensional potential energy surface.",

author = "Zhexuan Song and Hong Gao and Jing Xie",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2026.",

year = "2026",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-026-72120-5",

language = "English",

volume = "17",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A novel stereochemistry retention mechanism in the SN2 reaction

AU - Song, Zhexuan

AU - Gao, Hong

AU - Xie, Jing

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026.

PY - 2026/12

Y1 - 2026/12

N2 - A recent study by Lu et al. reports the nucleophilic substitution reaction between Cl‒ and (CH3)3CI can proceed via a flip-over mechanism — a new type of SN2 pathway that retains configuration, discovered through simulations on a full-dimensional potential energy surface.

AB - A recent study by Lu et al. reports the nucleophilic substitution reaction between Cl‒ and (CH3)3CI can proceed via a flip-over mechanism — a new type of SN2 pathway that retains configuration, discovered through simulations on a full-dimensional potential energy surface.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038089428

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-026-72120-5

DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-72120-5

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 42067529

AN - SCOPUS:105038089428

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 17

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 3946

ER -

A novel stereochemistry retention mechanism in the S_N2 reaction

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this