Hammonds Postulate

As for the general correlation between reaction rates and thermodynamics, Hammond s postulate is very popular among organic chemists. He wrote in his original paper  

While there is no completely general correlation between the rates and free energies of chemical reactions, there are many instances in which the most stable products are formed at the most rapid rates from a series of similarly constituted reactants. In certain other reactions, the less stable products seem to be formed at the more rapid rates with considerable regularity. 

If two states, as for example, a transition state and an unstable intermediate, occur consecutively during a reaction process and have nearly the same energy content, their interconversion will involve only a small organization of the molecular structures. 

However, in exothermic reactions, the energy levels of transition states are close to those of the reactants. Therefore, product stability has nothing 

SECTION 4.4. BASIC MECHANISTIC CONCEPTS KINETIC VERSUS THERMODYNAMIC CONTROL, HAMMOND S POSTULATE, AND THE CURTIN-HAMMETT PRINCIPLE 

The significance of the concept incorporated in Hammond s postulate then is that, in appropriate cases, it permits discussion of transition state structure in terms 

CHAPTER 4 STUDY AND DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIC REACTION MECHANISMS 

The case of electrophilic aromatic substitution can illustrate a situation in which it is useful to discuss transition state structure in terms of a reaction intermediate. The ortho-para- and mera-directing effects of aromatic substituents were among the first structure-reactivity relationships to be developed in organic chemistry. Certain functional groups were found to activate aromatic rings toward substitution and to direct the entering electrophile to the ortho and para positions whereas others were deactivating and led to substitution in the meta position. The bromination of anisole (methoxybenzene), benzene, and nitrobenzene can serve as cases for discussion. 

It can be demonstrated that the reactions are kinetically controlled. It is therefore the value that holds the key to the connection between the rate effects and the substituent s directing effects. But to discuss AG satisfactorily, we must know something about the reaction mechanism and the nature of the competing transition states. Electrophilic aromatic substitution will be discussed in detail in Chapter 10. 

Because the rates of chemical reactions are controlled by the free energy of the transition state, information about the stmcture of transition states is crucial to understanding reaction mechanism. However, because transition states have only transitory existence, it is not possible to make experimental measurements that provide direct information about their structure.. Hammond has discussed the circumstances under which it is valid to relate transition-state stmcture to the stmcture of reactants, intermediates, and products. His statements concerning transition-state stmcture are known as Hammond s postulate. Discussing individual steps in a reaction mechanism, Hammond s postulate states if two states, as, for example, a transition state and an unstable intermediate, occur consecutively during a reaction process and have neariy the same energy content, their interconversion will involve only a small reorganization of molecular stmcture.  

The significance of the concept incorporated in Hammond s postulate is that, in appropriate cases, it permits discussion of transition-state structure in terms of the reactants, inteimediates, or products in a multistep reaction sequence. The postulate indicates that the cases in which such comparison is appropriate are those in which the transition state is close in energy to the reactant, intermediate, or product. Chemists sometimes speak of early or late transition states. An early transition state is reactant-like whereas a late transition state is product-like. 

Because the product composition is kinetically controlled, the isomer ratio will be governed by the relative magnitudes of AG, AGI, and AG, the energies of activation for the ortho, meta, and para transition states, respectively. In Fig. 4.7 a qualitative comparison of these AG values is made. At the transition state, a positive charge is present on the benzene ring, primarily at positions 2, 4, and 6 in relation to the entering bromine. 

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Many programs allow the user to input a weighting factor (i.e., to give a structure that is 70% of the way from reactants to products). This allows the application of the Hammond postulate that the transition structure will look more like the reactants for an exothermic reaction and more like the products for an endothermic reaction. 

The substituent effects in aromatic electrophilic substitution are dominated by resonance effects. In other systems, stereoelectronic effects or steric effects might be more important. Whatever the nature of the substituent effects, the Hammond postulate insists diat structural discussion of transition states in terms of reactants, intermediates, or products is valid only when their structures and energies are similar. 

Figure S-13 Demonstration of the Hammond postulate with harmonic potential wells.

The Hammond postulate is a valuable criterion of mechanism, because it allows a reasonable transition state structure to be drawn on the basis of knowledge of the reactants and products and of energy differences between the states (i.e., AG and AG°). Throughout this chapter we have located transition states in accordance with the Hammond postulate. 

Figure S-14. (A) A parabolic potential barrier and a linear perturbation. (B) Sum of the parabolic and linear functions, showing shift in maximum in accord with the Hammond postulate. (C) Two parabolic potential wells aa and bb are equivalent to the parabolic barrier cc .

It would be desirable to achieve a quantitative version of the Hammond postulate. For this purpose we need a measure of progress along the reaction coordinate. Several authors have used the bond order for this measure.The chemical significance of bond order is that it is the number of covalent bonds between two atoms thus the bond orders of the C—C, C==C, bonds are 1, 2, and 3,... 

According to this very simple derivation and result, the position of the transition state along the reaction coordinate is determined solely by AG° (a thermodynamic quantity) and AG (a kinetic quantity). Of course, the potential energy profile of Fig. 5-15, upon which Eq. (5-60) is based, is very unrealistic, but, quite remarkably, it is found that the precise nature of the profile is not important to the result provided certain criteria are met, and Miller " obtained Eq. (5-60) using an arc length minimization criterion. Murdoch has analyzed Eq. (5-60) in detail. Equation (5-60) can be considered a quantitative formulation of the Hammond postulate. The transition state in Fig. 5-9 was located with the aid of Eq. (5-60). 

The Hammond Postulate implies that the transition stah of a fast exothermic reaction resembles the reactants (se( reaction energy diagram at left). This means that it wil be hard to predict the selectivity of competing exothermi( reactions both barriers may be small and similar even i one reaction is more exothermic than the other. 

Obtain the partial CH and HF bond distances in eacl transition state, and compare them to the CH and HF bon( distances in propane and hydrogen fluoride, respectively Does the Hammond Postulate correctly predict whicl bond distances will be most similar Explain. 

Use of the Hammond Postulate requires that the reverse reactions both be fast. Obtain energies for the transition states leading to 1-propyl and 2-propyl radicals ipropane+Br end and propane+Br center), and draw a reaction energy diagram for each (place the diagrams on the same axes). Is use of the Hammond Postulate justified Compare the partial CH and HBr bond distances in each transition state to the corresponding distances in propane and hydrogen bromide, respectively. Does the Hammond Postulate correctly predict which bond distances will be most similar Explain. 

Obtain the energies of propene, dimethylborane, and 1-propyldimethyl borane, and calculate AH n for dimethylborane addition. Is this reaction exothermic or endothermic Use this result and the Hammond Postulate to predict whether the transition state will be more reactant like or more product like . Compare the geometry of the transition state to that of the reactants and products. Does the Hammond Postulate correctly anticipate the structure of the transition state Explain. 

Electrophilic nitration of a substituted benzene may lead to ortho, meta or para products, depending on the substituent. According to the Hammond Postulate, the kinetic product will be that which follows from the most stable intermediate benzenium ion, i.e. 

Examine the structures of the two transition states (chlorine atom+methane and chlorine+methyI radical). For each, characterize the transition state as early (close to the geometry of the reactants) or as late (close to the geometry of the products) In Ught of the thermodynamics of the individual steps, are your results anticipated by the Hammond Postulate Explain. 

Would you describe the transition state for the Claisen rearrangement as early (like reactants), late (like products) or in between Given the overall thermodynamics of reaction, do you conclude that the Hammond Postulate applies Explain. 

The Bell-Evans-Polanyi Principle/Hammond Postulate/... 

THE BELL-EVANS-POLANYIPRINCIPLE/HAMMOND POSTULATE/MARCUS THEORY... 

An explanation of the relationship between reaction rate and intermediate stability was first advanced in 1955. Known as the Hammond postulate, the argument goes like this transition states represent energy maxima. They are high-energy activated complexes that occur transiently during the course of a reaction and immediately go on to a more stable species. Although we can t... 

Hammond postulate The structure of a transition state resembles the structure of the nearest stable species. Transition states for endergonic steps structurally resemble products, and transition states for exergonic steps structurally resemble reactants. 

How does the Hammond postulate apply to electrophilic addition reactions The formation of a catbocation by protonation of an alkene is an endergonic step. Thus, the transition state for alkene protonation structurally resembles the... 

Hammond postulate, 197 hydride shift, 200 hyperconjugation, 187 Markovnikov s rule, 191 methylene group, 178 tegiospecific, 191 unsaturated, 174 vinyl group, 178... 

Markovnikov s rule can be restated by saying that, in the addition of HX to an aikene, the more stable carbocation intermediate is formed. This result is explained by the Hammond postulate, which says that the transition state of an exergonic reaction step structurally resembles the reactant, whereas the transition state of an endergonic reaction step structurally resembles the product. Since an aikene protonation step is endergonic, the stability of the more highly substituted carbocation is reflected in the stability of the transition state leading to its formation. 

The isobutyl cation spontaneously rearranges to the tart-butyl cation by a hydride shift. Is the rearrangement exergonic or endergonic Draw what you think the transition state for the hydride shift might look like according to the Hammond postulate. 

The enhanced selectivity of alkane bromination over chlorination can be explained by turning once again to the Hammond postulate. In comparing the abstractions of an alkane hydrogen by Cl- and Br- radicals, reaction with Br- is less exergonic. As a result, the transition state for bromination resembles the alkyl radical more closely than does the transition state for chlorination, and the stability of that radical is therefore more important for bromination than for chlorination. 

According to the Hammond postulate (Section 6.10), any factor that stabilizes a high-energy intermediate also stabilizes the transition state leading to that inlermediate. Since the rate-limiting step in an S l reaction is the spontaneous, unimolecLilar dissociation of the substrate to yield a carbocation, the reaction is favored whenever a stabilized carbocation intermediate is formed. The more stable the carbocation intermediate, the faster the S l reaction. 

The Hammond postulate says that any factor stabilizing the intermediate carbocation should increase the rate of an S l reaction. Solvation of the carbocation—the interaction of the ion with solvent molecules—has just such an effect. Solvent molecules orient around the carbocation so that the electron-rich ends of the solvent dipoles face the positive charge (Figure 11.14), thereby lowering the energy of the ion and favoring its formation. 

Hammond postulate (Section 6.10) A postulate stating that we can get a picture of what a given transition state looks like by looking at the structure of the nearest stable species. Exergonic reactions have transition states that resemble reactant endergonic reactions have transition states that resemble product. 

Enantiotopic (NMR), 455 Endergonic. 153 Endergonic reaction, Hammond postulate and, 197-198 Endo stereochemistry, Diels-Alder reaction and, 495 Endothermic, 154 -ene, alkene name ending, 176 Energy difference, equilibrium position and, 122... 

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