Nucleophilic Substitution:
Definition
The existence of a strongly electrophilic carbon center creates alkyl halides susceptible to nucleophilic attack whereby a nucleophile displaces the halogen like a nucleophilic halide ion. The reaction is termed as nucleophilic substitution and there are two kinds of mechanism - the SN1 and SN2 mechanisms. Carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid derivatives also go through nucleophilic substitutions, but the mechanisms are completely different.
![2388_Nucleophilic Substitution.png](https://www.expertsmind.com/CMSImages/2388_Nucleophilic%20Substitution.png)
Figure: Nucleophilic substitution.