Ferrocenylmethyl benzoate

The mechanism of ferrocenylmethyl benzoate solvolysis can be best understood in terms of the Winstein mechanism for solvolysis (Scheme 9.4.l). It can be assumed that, in the presence of lithium perchlorate, the solvent-separated ion pair reacts rapidly by the and kq route to give solvolysis products. This appears to be the major pathway. In this interpretation, the dissociation of the intimate ion pair (the k step) is mainly or entirely rate determining. 

Relative rates of ferrocenylmethyl benzoate solvolyses in formic and acetic acid... 

The mentioned results of Kevill et who found that the rates of fer-rocenylmethyl acetate solvolyses increase with increasing the solvent ionizing power, and the observation of close similarity in reaction rates of formolysis and acetolysis of ferrocenylmethyl benzoate, despite the large difference in ionization power of these two acids, ° prompted a reinvestigation of the mentioned kinetic data. The new measurements fully support the earlier results. 

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