One useful measure of nucleophilicity is the relative rate for a
standard SN2 reaction: MeBr in methanol at 25°C.
On this scale, we get the following comparison (compare Table 6-7):
Nucleophile
|
krel
|
log krel
|
pKa of HX
|
Et3P
|
520,000,000
|
8.72
|
8.7
|
HS-
|
100,000,000
|
8.00
|
7.0
|
I-
|
26,000,000
|
7.42
|
-10.7
|
CN-
|
5,000,000
|
6.70
|
9.3
|
Et3N
|
5,000,000
|
6.7
|
10.7
|
HO-
|
1,000,000
|
6
|
14.74
|
CH3O-
|
1,950,000
|
6.29
|
15
|
Br-
|
617000
|
5.79
|
-7.7
|
NH3
|
316000
|
5.5
|
9.25
|
(CH3)2S
|
200000
|
5.3
|
|
Cl-
|
20000
|
4.3
|
-5.7
|
CH3CO2-
|
20000
|
4.3
|
4.74
|
F-
|
501
|
2.7
|
3.45
|
H2O
|
1
|
0
|
-1.7
|
CH3OH
|
1
|
0
|
-1.5
|
|