Esters isotope effects

This variation from the ester hydrolysis mechanism also reflects the poorer leaving ability of amide ions as compared to alkoxide ions. The evidence for the involvement of the dianion comes from kinetic studies and from solvent isotope effects, which suggest that a rate-limiting proton transfer is involved. The reaction is also higher than first-order in hydroxide ion under these circumstances, which is consistent with the dianion mechanism. 

The deuterium isotope effect for each hydrogen atom ortho to the diazonio group ( H/ D = 1.22, Swain et al., 1973b) is the largest secondary aromatic hydrogen isotope effect yet observed. It is comparable to those observed for a-deuterium in reactions involving carbocation formation from secondary aliphatic esters. Ob-... 

Both schemes accommodate the kinetics, the primary isotope effect and the induction factor, which indicates that Cr(IV) is the initial stage of reduction of the oxidant. RoCek s mechanism does not accord with the solvent isotope effect of 2.5 per proton, which has just the value to be expected for acid-catalysis, for the O-H bond cleavage should be subject to a primary isotope effect of about 7. The ester mechanism is not open to this criticim. 

These results do not prove that the ester is an essential intermediate in aqueous solution even though it is present, but the result with the hindred triterpene is convincing In this case the esterification step, which is normally fast, has become rate-determining and the disappearance of the isotope effect must mean that C-H cleavage occurs after the formation of the ester and not independently of it. The generality of this result is apparent from the stopped-flow investigation of isopropanol oxidation ... 

A kinetic isotope effect 160/180 of 2% in the spontaneous hydrolysis of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl phosphate dianion, whose ester oxygen is labeled, suggests a P/O bond cleavage in the transition state of the reaction, and thus also constitutes compelling evidence for formation of the metaphosphate 66,67). The hydrolysis behavior of some phosphoro-thioates (110) is entirely analogous 68). 

This is the same mechanism as that given above for esters, in equation (42). The difference between esters and amides is apparent from a comparison of the two tetrahedral intermediates [5] and [17], The former contains three oxygens, any of which can be protonated, resulting in much lsO exchange being observed when the reaction takes place in 180-enriched water,275,276 but [17] contains a much more basic nitrogen, which will be protonated preferentially and lead to much less 180 exchange, as observed.274 277,278 Also, ammonium ion formation makes the overall reaction irreversible, unlike ester hydrolysis. The calculated solvent isotope effect for the Scheme 15 process is 1.00,280 exactly in accord with experimental observation.278,279... 

Further evidence for the Aa11 mechanism was obtained from a solvent kinetic isotope study. The theoretical kinetic isotope effects for intermediates in the three reaction pathways as derived from fractionation factors are indicated in parentheses in Scheme 6.143,144 For the Aa11 mechanism (pathway (iii)) a solvent KIE (/ch2o A d2o) between 0.48 and 0.33 is predicted while both bimolecular processes (pathways (i) and (ii)) would have greater values of between 0.48 and 0.69. Acid-catalysed hydrolysis of ethylene oxide derivatives and acetals, which follow an A1 mechanism, display KIEs in the region of 0.5 or less while normal acid-catalysed ester hydrolyses (AAc2 mechanism) have values between 0.6 and 0.7.145,146... 

In the aldol-Tishchenko reaction, a lithium enolate reacts with 2 mol of aldehyde, ultimately giving, via an intramolecular hydride transfer, a hydroxy ester (51) with up to three chiral centres (R, derived from rYhIO). The kinetics of the reaction of the lithium enolate of p-(phenylsulfonyl)isobutyrophenone with benzaldehyde have been measured in THF. ° A kinetic isotope effect of fee/ o = 2.0 was found, using benzaldehyde-fil. The results and proposed mechanism, with hydride transfer rate limiting, are supported by ab initio MO calculations. 

The pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) oxidations of pentaamine cobalt(III)-bound and unbound mandelic and lactic acids have been studied and found to proceed at similar rates.Free-energy relationships in the oxidation of aromatic anils by PCC have been studied. Solvent effects in the oxidation of methionine by PCC and pyridinium bromochromate (PBC) have been investigated the reaction leads to the formation of the corresponding sulfoxide and mechanisms have been proposed. The major product of the acid-catalysed oxidation of a range of diols by PBC is the hydroxyaldehyde. The reaction is first order with respect to the diol and exhibits a substantial primary kinetic isotope effect. Proposed acid-dependent and acid-independent mechanisms involve the rapid formation of a chromate ester in a pre-equilibrium step, followed by rate-determining hydride ion transfer via a cyclic intermediate. PBC oxidation of thio acids has been studied. ... 

An enzyme reaction intermediate (Enz—O—C(0)R or Enz—S—C(O)R), formed by a carboxyl group transfer (e.g., from a peptide bond or ester) to a hydroxyl or thiol group of an active-site amino acyl residue of the enzyme. Such intermediates are formed in reactions catalyzed by serine proteases transglutaminase, and formylglyci-namide ribonucleotide amidotransferase . Acyl-enzyme intermediates often can be isolated at low temperatures, low pH, or a combination of both. For acyl-seryl derivatives, deacylation at a pH value of 2 is about 10 -fold slower than at the optimal pH. A primary isotope effect can frequently be observed with a C-labeled substrate. If an amide substrate is used, it is possible that a secondary isotope effect may be observed as welF. See also Active Site Titration Serpins (Inhibitory Mechanism)... 

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