Intro to Substitution Reactions - Crash Course Organic Chemistry

The video explores the historical development of chemotherapy from mustard gas used in World War I, highlighting its transformation into cancer treatment drugs. It delves into the chemistry of substitution reactions, focusing on SN1 and SN2 mechanisms, their differences, and their applications in medicine, particularly in chemotherapy. The video explains how these reactions work at a molecular level, using analogies and detailed mechanisms to illustrate the processes.

What role does the leaving group play in substitution reactions?

Discuss the importance of nucleophiles in substitution reactions.

What is the impact of substitution reactions on DNA as mentioned in the text?

How do tertiary substrates influence the mechanism of substitution reactions?