Catalysis, general base transitions states

It has been shown that the rearrangement of a-hydroxyalkylphosphonic acid diesters to phosphates is subject to general base catalysis and a transition state similar to (95) was proposed. Hydrolysis of the aroyl-phosphonate esters (96) in aqueous dioxan with phosphate buffer is also... 

FIGURE 16.11 Specific and general acid-base catalysis of simple reactions in solution may be distinguished by determining the dependence of observed reaction rate constants (/sobs) pH and buffer concentration, (a) In specific acid-base catalysis, or OH concentration affects the reaction rate, is pH-dependent, but buffers (which accept or donate H /OH ) have no effect, (b) In general acid-base catalysis, in which an ionizable buffer may donate or accept a proton in the transition state, is dependent on buffer concentration. 

FIGURE 16.12 Catalysis of nitrophenylacetate hydrolysis by imidazole—an example of general base catalysis. Proton transfer to imidazole in the transition state facilitates hydroxyl attack on the substrate carbonyl carbon. 

A true intramolecular proton transfer in the second step of an azo coupling reaction was found by Snyckers and Zollinger (1970a, 1970b) in the reaction of the 8-(2 -pyridyl)-2-naphthoxide ion (with the transition state 12.151). This compound shows neither a kinetic deuterium isotope effect nor general base catalysis, in contrast to the sterically similar 8-phenyl-2-naphthoxide ion. Obviously the heterocyclic nitrogen atom is the proton acceptor. 

Acid-base catalysis, 232-238 Brqnsted equation for, 233-236 general, 233, 237 mechanisms for, 237 specific, 232-233, 237 Activated complex (see Transition state) Activation enthalpy, 10, 156-160 for composite rate constants, 161-164 negative, 161 Activation parameters, 10 chemical interpretation of, 168-169 energy of activation, Ea, 10 enthalpy of activation (A// ), 10, 156-160... 

Both these methods require equilibrium constants for the microscopic rate determining step, and a detailed mechanism for the reaction. The approaches can be illustrated by base and acid-catalyzed carbonyl hydration. For the base-catalyzed process, the most general mechanism is written as general base catalysis by hydroxide in the case of a relatively unreactive carbonyl compound, the proton transfer is probably complete at the transition state so that the reaction is in effect a simple addition of hydroxide. By MMT this is treated as a two-dimensional reaction proton transfer and C-0 bond formation, and requires two intrinsic barriers, for proton transfer and for C-0 bond formation. By NBT this is a three-dimensional reaction proton transfer, C-0 bond formation, and geometry change at carbon, and all three are taken as having no barrier. 

Intramolecular general acid catalysis in reactions of salicylic acid derivatives 196 Why are EM s for general acid-base catalysed reactions so low 198 EM and the nature of the transition state 200 The formation of small rings 205... 

Relatively few data are available (Table H) for reactions involving intramolecular general acid catalysis, but in most cases the EM s fall in the same range as those for general base catalysis (Tables E-G). This is expected if EM is a characteristic transition-state property, because a general acid catalysed reaction is always the microscopic reverse of a general base catalysed process as shown in equation (5), although in no case has the EM been measured in both directions. 

A similar bait and switch approach has been exploited for acyl-transfer reactions (Janda et al., 1990b, 1991c). The design of hapten [10] incorporates both a transition state mimic and the cationic pyridinium moiety, designed to induce the presence of a potential general acid/base or nucleophilic amino acid residue in the combining site, able to assist in catalysis of the hydrolysis of substrate [11] (Appendix entry 2.6). 

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