Hydroxyl ions, reaction with ethyl acetate

The rate of the following reaction has been found to be first-order with respect to hydroxyl ions and ethyl acetate ... 

Because of certain misconceptions with regard to the choice of solvent and the occurrence of sulfur-oxygen bond fission in hydroxylic solvents - , it is important to emphasize that one can greatly reduce the rate of this competing process by the use of weak bases. In systems which can undergo facile C—O as well as S—O bond fission, it is possible to control the type of bond cleavage by choosing the appropriate base . A remarkable illustration of this behavior is found in the ethanolysis of sulfinate 6a. In anhydrous ethanol at 90.0° with acetate ion as the added base, 6a yielded ethyl 2, 6-dimethylbenzenesulfinate plus a trace of sulfone 7a. Under the same conditions but with 2,6-lutidine the reaction was slower and sulfone 7a was the only detectable reaction product . ... 

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