Substitution Reaction Definition

What Is a Substitution Reaction in Chemistry?

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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on July 03, 2019

A substitution reaction is a type of chemical reaction where an atom or functional group of a molecule is replaced by another atom or functional group.

A substitution reaction is also called a single displacement reaction, single replacement reaction, or single substitution reaction.

Examples: CH3Cl reacted with a hydroxy ion (OH-) will produce CH3OH and chlorine. This substitution reaction replaces the chlorine atom on the original molecule with the hydroxy ion.

Sources

  • Imyanitov, Naum S. (1993). "Is This Reaction a Substitution, Oxidation-Reduction, or Transfer?". J. Chem. Educ. 70 (1): 14–16. doi:10.1021/ed070p14
  • March, Jerry (1985). Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structure (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-85472-7.
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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Substitution Reaction Definition." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-substitution-reaction-605702. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). Substitution Reaction Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-substitution-reaction-605702 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Substitution Reaction Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-substitution-reaction-605702 (accessed January 27, 2023).
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