Answer to Question #10312 in Organic Chemistry for lavneeta dash

Question

the treatment of alkyl chlorides with aqueous KOH leads to formation of alcohols but in the presence of alcoholic KOH, alkenes are the major products? explain why?

Answer 1

the main reaction going in the sn2 way.The SN2 reaction (also known as
bimolecular nucleophilic substitution) is a type of nucleophilic substitution,
where a lone pair from a nucleophile attacks an electron deficient electrophilic
center and bonds to it, expelling another group called a leaving
group,but common side reaction taking place with SN2 reactions is E2
elimination: the incoming anion can act as a base rather than as a nucleophile,
abstracting a proton and leading to formation of the alkene.