Acetone, acid-base catalysed halogenation

General base catalysed halogenation of carbon acids often involves a rate-determining proton transfer from carbon, and halogenation is a technique which is frequently used for obtaining rates of proton transfer. The technique has been developed particularly by Bell [34] to measure rates of proton transfer from ketones. Other carbon acids have been studied, however, for example, esters [35], sulphonates [36], nitro-paraffins [37], and cyanocarbons [38]. Under chosen conditions which may vary depending upon the substrate, the mechanism, illustrated for acetone in eqns. (19) and (20),... 

Comparison of the overall rate constants (when ionisation occurs along two competitive paths) or of the rate constants (when there is only one enolisation site) with that of a parent unsubstituted methyl ketone, e.g. acetone or acetophenone, shows that an alkyl group usually decreases ketone reactivity under conditions of base catalysis. This is in agreement with a small electron-repelling inductive effect which makes the carbanion ion less stable (e.g. the halogenation rate constant decreases by a factor of 6.5 on going from acetophenone to propiophenone when the reaction is catalysed by acetate ion [acetic acid-water 75 25 at 25°CI (Evans and Gordon, 1938). However, the factor is very small and could be explained by steric effects as well. 

Extensive work, especially by Dawson and his collaborators, has shown that in buffer solutions of carboxylic acids the halogenation of acetone is catalysed by both carboxylic acids and carboxylate ions, as well as by hydrogen and hydroxide ions. In this situation of general catalysis by both acids and bases the observed velocity constant will be given by an expression of the form... 

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