Finkelstein reaction is used in the production of alkyl halides or haloalkanes. The reaction is considered an essential topic of organic chemistry Class 12. It can be used in the place of the nucleophilic bimolecular halogen exchange reaction . The Finkelstein reaction is defined as a debromination reaction that occurs via an S N 2 mechanism, involving the reaction between 2-BEB and the iodide ion in solvents like acetone and acetonitrile. It is used to benchmark electronic structure methods for studying its energetics and kinetic isotope effects (KIEs). The Finkelstein reaction is a type of S N 2 reaction that involves the exchange of one halogen atom for another in alkyl halides. It can be used as a qualitative test to determine the class of an unknown alkyl halide, and it can be catalyzed by copper or nickel for aromatic halides. " The Finkelstein reaction involves the exchange of one halogen for another, especially, in primary alkyl halides. It is used to synthesize one alkyl halide from another. In the classical version of Finkelstein reaction , a primary alkyl halide, RX is treated with an alkali metal halide, like NaX' or KX', in excess in acetone. The halogen, X in alkyl halide is replaced by X' through an S N 2 mechanism.
