Chemical reaction proton transfer

As described in Section 4-1. one important class of chemical reactions involves transfers of protons between chemical species. An equally important class of chemical reactions involves transfers of electrons between chemical species. These are oxidation-reduction reactions. Commonplace examples of oxidation-reduction reactions include the msting of iron, the digestion of food, and the burning of gasoline. Paper manufacture, the subject of our Box, employs oxidation-reduction chemishy to bleach wood pulp. All metals used in the chemical industry and manufacturing are extracted and purified through oxidation-reduction chemistry, and many biochemical pathways involve the transfer of electrons from one substance to another. 

Where do the thermochemical data that are used to determine the energetics of a reaction come from For closed-shell species that can be generated chemically via proton transfer, gas phase acidities (reaction [2]) and basicities (reaction [3]) are the principal sources. If the acidity or basicity for a reaction leading to a given ion is known, then the heat of formation for that ion can be calculated via Equations (4) and (5). This latter point is important, because this is the source for much of the ionic thermochemical data that are used for application of the no endothermic reactions tool. 

It is convenient to label the relative slowness of encounter pair reaction as due to an activated process and to remark that the chemical reaction (proton, electron or energy transfer, bond fission or formation) can be activation-limited. This is an unsatisfactory nomenclature for several reasons. Diffusion of molecules in solution not only involves a random walk, but oscillations of the molecules in solvent cages. Between each solvent cage in which the molecule oscillates, a transformation from one state to another occurs by passage over an activation barrier. Indeed, diffusion is activated (see Sect. 6.9), with a typical activation energy 8—12 kJ mol-1. By contrast, the chemical reaction of a pair of radicals is often not activated (Pilling [35]), or rather the entropy of activation... 

Tapia, O., Andres, J., Moliner, V. and Stamato, F. L. M. G. (1997) Theory of solvent effects and the description of chemical reactions. Proton and hydride transfer processes, in Hadzi, D. (edr), Theoretical treatments of hydrogen bonding, John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 143-164,... 

Since electrode reactions commonly involve the transfer of several electrons, the complications (a)—(c) can occur sandwiched between as well as preceding or following electron transfer. Moreover very complex situations do arise. Thus, for example, reaction (1.5) is likely to involve electron transfer, diffusion, chemical reactions (protonation and hydration equilibria as well as sulphation), phase transformation and adsorbed intermediates In this chapter, however, we shall take the approach of considering each fundamental type of process in turn. The equations that will arise must be regarded as idealistic and simplistic but will generally be sufficient for us to understand most cells in industrial practice provided we can recognize which of the fundamental steps in the overall electrode processes predominantly determine the cell characteristics. 

Since electrode reactions commonly involve the transfer of several electrons, the complications (a)-(c) can occur sandwiched between, as well as preceding or following, electron transfer. Thus, for example. Reaction (1.9) is likely to involve electron transfer, diffusion, chemical reactions (protonation and hydration... 

Examples of the lader include the adsorption or desorption of species participating in the reaction or the participation of chemical reactions before or after the electron transfer step itself One such process occurs in the evolution of hydrogen from a solution of a weak acid, HA in this case, the electron transfer from the electrode to die proton in solution must be preceded by the acid dissociation reaction taking place in solution. 

Several processes are unique to ions. A common reaction type in which no chemical rearrangement occurs but rather an electron is transferred to a positive ion or from a negative ion is tenued charge transfer or electron transfer. Proton transfer is also conunon in both positive and negative ion reactions. Many proton- and electron-transfer reactions occur at or near the collision rate [72]. A reaction pertaining only to negative ions is associative detaclunent [73, 74],... 

The possible mechanism of ionization, fragmentation of studied compound as well as their desoi ption by laser radiation is discussed. It is shown that the formation of analyte ions is a result of a multi stage complex process included surface activation by laser irradiation, the adsoi ption of neutral analyte and proton donor molecules, the chemical reaction on the surface with proton or electron transfer, production of charged complexes bonded with the surface and finally laser desoi ption of such preformed molecules. 

A catalyst is defined as a substance that influences the rate or the direction of a chemical reaction without being consumed. Homogeneous catalytic processes are where the catalyst is dissolved in a liquid reaction medium. The varieties of chemical species that may act as homogeneous catalysts include anions, cations, neutral species, enzymes, and association complexes. In acid-base catalysis, one step in the reaction mechanism consists of a proton transfer between the catalyst and the substrate. The protonated reactant species or intermediate further reacts with either another species in the solution or by a decomposition process. Table 1-1 shows typical reactions of an acid-base catalysis. An example of an acid-base catalysis in solution is hydrolysis of esters by acids. 

Whenever possible, the chemical reactions involved in the fonnation of diastereomers and their- conversion to separate enantiomers are simple acid-base reactions. For example, naturally occurring (5)-(—)-malic acid is often used to resolve fflnines. One such amine that has been resolved in this way is 1-phenylethylarnine. Amines are bases, and malic acid is an acid. Proton transfer from (5)-(—)-malic acid to a racemic mixture of (/ )- and (5)-1-phenylethylarnine gives a mixture of diastereorneric salts. 

Much information on proton transfers has been obtained by NMR chemical exchange studies. An example is the proton exchange between neopentyl alcohol and acetic acid in acetic acid as the solvent. The reaction is... 

In all chemical reactions, the reacting atoms or molecules pass through a state that is intermediate in structure between the reactant(s) and the product(s). Consider the transfer of a proton from a water molecule to a chloride anion ... 

Many computational studies in heterocyclic chemistry deal with proton transfer reactions between different tautomeric structures. Activation energies of these reactions obtained from quantum chemical calculations need further corrections, since tunneling effects may lower the effective barriers considerably. These effects can either be estimated by simple models or computed more precisely via the determination of the transmission coefficients within the framework of variational transition state calculations [92CPC235, 93JA2408]. 

We can use this more general view to discuss the strengths of acids. In our generalized acid-base reaction (52), the proton transfer implies the chemical bond in HB, must be broken and the chemical bond in HB2 must be formed. If the HB, bond is easily broken, then HB, will be a strong acid. Then equilibrium will tend to favor a proton transfer from HB, to some other base, B2. If, on the other hand, the HB, bond is extremely stable, then this substance will be a weak acid. Equilibrium will tend to favor a proton transfer from some other acid, HB2, to base B, forming the stable HB, bond. 

Here, the relative stability of the anion radical confers to the cleavage process a special character. Thus, at a mercury cathode and in organic solvents in the presence of tetraalkylammonium salts, the mechanism is expected16 to be an ECE one in protic media or in the presence of an efficient proton donor, but of EEC type in aprotic solvents. In such a case, simple electron-transfer reactions 9 and 10 have to be associated chemical reactions and other electron transfers (at the level of the first step). Those reactions are shown below in detail ... 

The relative importance of the disproportionation process (SET between two anion radicals) depends principally on the thermodynamic constant (K). It can be easily determined more or less accurately from the potential difference existing between the first cathodic peak and the second one. (An exact calculation would be possible from the thermodynamic potentials of the two reversible transfers in the absence of proton sources and at reasonable sweep rates so as to inhibit any undesirable chemical reaction.)... 

J.ll In each of the following salts, either the cation or the anion is a weak acid or a weak base. Write the chemical equation for the proton transfer reaction of this cation or anion with water (a) NaC6H50 (b) KCIO (c) C,HSNHCI ... 

J.12 C6HsNH3C1 is a chloride salt with an acidic cation, (a) If 50.0 g of C6H5NH3C1 is dissolved in water to make 150.0 mL of solution, what is the initial molarity of the cation (b) Write the chemical equation for the proton transfer reaction of the cation with water. Identify the acid and the base in this reaction. 

J.I3 Na As04 is a salt of a weak base that can accept more than one proton, (a) Write the chemical equations for the sequential proton transfer reactions of the anion with water. Identify the acid and the base in each reaction, (b) If 35.0 g of Na3As04 is dissolved in water to make 250.0 ml. of solution, how many moles of sodium cations are in the solution ... 

Like all chemical equilibria, this equilibrium is dynamic and we should think of protons as ceaselessly exchanging between HCN and H20 molecules, with a constant but low concentration of CN and H30+ ions. The proton transfer reaction of a strong acid, such as HCl, in water is also dynamic, but the equilibrium lies so strongly in favor of products that we represent it just by its forward reaction with a single arrow. 

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