Abstract: Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions play a crucial role in the synthesis of organic compounds and are considered to be one of the most important synthetic transformations. Traditionally, these reactions have been described as stepwise processes in textbooks. However, with further research, the existence of concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions has been widely confirmed. This paper provides a brief overview of the stepwise pathway of nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions and focuses on several examples of concerted reactions, highlighting the importance of reaction design in mechanistic studies. Integrating cutting-edge research findings into teaching can enhance students’ understanding of nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions.

Key words: Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, Concerted, Stepwise, Reaction mechanism