Question

Under SN2 conditions, on reaction with NaOH, (S)-2-bromo octane gives (R)-2-octanol. This is an example of ____________

(a) Dynamicselective

(b) Stereoselective

(c) Regioselective

(d) Stereospecific

I got this question by my school principal while I was bunking the class.

The doubt is from Stereoselectivity and Stereospecificity in portion Structure and Stereostructure of Molecules of Engineering Chemistry I

Answer 1

Right choice is (d) Stereospecific

For explanation I would say: Under SN2 conditions, on reaction with NaOH, (S)-2-bromo octane gives (R)-2-octanol. This is an example of stereospecific reaction. In SN2 mechanism, one bond is broken and one bond is formed synchronously.