Tertiary Alcohols as Substrates for SN2‐Like Stereoinversion

: Rewrite the textbooks! The stereospecific bimolecular substitution reaction (SN 2) is usually limited to primary and secondary electrophiles. The Shenvi group has developed a method in which tertiary alcohol substrates are converted into isocyanides with configurational inversion. Intriguingly, tertiary hydroxy groups react selectively in the presence of unprotected primary and secondary hydroxy groups.