Ion pairs reactivity

Polymerization of P-propiolactone in a highly polar solvent (DMF) in the presence of a crown ether shows the unexpected feature that ion-pair reactivity decreases more slowly with decreasing temperature compared to free-ion reactivity [Penczek et al., 2000a,b Slomkowski, 1986]. Solvation of free ions becomes so extensive at 20°C that they are less reactive than ion pairs. 

In a general manner, the ion pairs reactivity is lower in THP than in THF for a given counterion because the separation of the charges in the transition state is more difficult in a medium of lower dielectric constant. 

The similarity in the reactivities of free ions and corresponding ion pairs derived from the same cyclic monomer is more intriguing. Whereas ion pair reactivities are about 10 times smaller than corresponding free ion values in the anionic polymerization of vinyl monomers [39], and probably of the same relative proportions in cationic systems, the difference in cationic ring opening polymerizations is considerably less. For polymerization of THF in methylene chloride the factor is only 7, and for polymerization of 3,3-dimethylthietan, 40 in methylene chloride and 1 in nitrobenzene. Because the overall reactivity in cyclic monomer reactions is lower than for olefinic polymerizations, it might be expected that difference between free ion and ion pair reactivities, within one system, would also be less. However, this does not seem to be the whole answer. Plesch [44] has pointed out that in the polymerization of cyclic ethers and thietans (and presumably, therefore, other cyclic monomers)... 

The major features of eq. (7) are supported by the fact that kf is, within the precision of measurement, independent of the ionophore. Ion pair reactivities are, however, sharply dependent on the counter ion and increase with increasing Ka. Thus, no steric effect of the cation is discernible reduction of reactivity of the nucleophile in the pair due to electrostriction is sufficient to account for the results. 

If this electrostatic treatment of the substituent effect of poles is sound, the effect of a pole upon the Gibbs function of activation at a particular position should be inversely proportional to the effective dielectric constant, and the longer the methylene chain the more closely should the effective dielectric constant approach the dielectric constant of the medium. Surprisingly, competitive nitrations of phenpropyl trimethyl ammonium perchlorate and benzene in acetic anhydride and tri-fluoroacetic acid showed the relative rate not to decrease markedly with the dielectric constant of the solvent. It was suggested that the expected decrease in reactivity of the cation was obscured by the faster nitration of ion pairs. 

The equation does not take into account such pertubation factors as steric effects, solvent effects, and ion-pair formation. These factors, however, may be neglected when experiments are carried out in the same solvent at the same temperature and concentration for an homogeneous set of substrates. So, for a given ambident nucleophile the rate ratio kj/kj will depend on A and B, which vary with (a) the attacked electrophilic center, (b) the solvent, and (c) the counterpart cationic species of the anion. The important point in this kind of study is to change only one parameter at a time. This simple rule has not always been followed, and little systematic work has been done in this field (12) stiH widely open after the discovery of the role played by single electron transfer mechanism in ambident reactivity (1689). 

Studies have shown that, in marked contrast to carbanionic polymerisation, the reactivity of the free oxonium ion is of the same order of magnitude as that of its ion pair with the counterion (6). On the other hand, in the case of those counterions that can undergo an equiUbrium with the corresponding covalent ester species, the reactivity of the ionic species is so much greater than that of the ester that chain growth by external attack of monomer on covalent ester makes a negligible contribution to the polymerisation process. The relative concentration of the two species depends on the dielectric constant of the polymerisation medium, ie, on the choice of solvent. 

It is also of significance that in the dilute gas phase, where the intrinsic orientating properties of pyrrole can be examined without the complication of variable phenomena such as solvation, ion-pairing and catalyst attendant on electrophilic substitution reactions in solution, preferential /3-attack on pyrrole occurs. In gas phase t-butylation, the relative order of reactivity at /3-carbon, a-carbon and nitrogen is 10.3 3.0 1.0 (81CC1177). 

The order of enolate reactivity also depends on the metal cation which is present. The general order is BrMg < Li < Na < K. This order, too, is in the order of greater dissociation of the enolate-cation ion pairs and ion aggregates. Carbon-13 chemical shift data provide an indication of electron density at the nucleophilic caibon in enolates. These shifts have been found to be both cation-dependent and solvent-dependent. Apparent electron density increases in the order > Na > Li and THF/HMPA > DME > THF >ether. There is a good correlation with observed reactivity under the corresponding conditions. 

Sn2 reactions with anionic nucleophiles fall into this class, and observations are generally in accord with the qualitative prediction. Unusual effects may be seen in solvents of low dielectric constant where ion pairing is extensive, and we have already commented on the enhanced nucleophilic reactivity of anionic nucleophiles in dipolar aprotic solvents owing to their relative desolvation in these solvents. Another important class of ion-molecule reaction is the hydroxide-catalyzed hydrolysis of neutral esters and amides. Because these reactions are carried out in hydroxy lie solvents, the general medium effect is confounded with the acid-base equilibria of the mixed solvent lyate species. (This same problem occurs with Sn2 reactions in hydroxylic solvents.) This equilibrium is established in alcohol-water mixtures ... 

Through a study of the influence of thiophene and other aromatic compounds on the retardation and chain transfer on the polymerization of styrene by stannic chloride, the relative rates of attack of a carbonium-ion pair could be obtained. It was found that thiophene in this reaction was about 100 times more reactive than p-xylene and somewhat less reactive than anisole. ... 

The pyrylium cation possesses, according to the substituents in positions 2, 4, and 6, a more or less pronounced electrophilic reactivity which enables it to add nucleophiles in these positions. According to the nucleophilic reactivity and the carbon basicity " of the anions, an ion pair (a substituted pyrylium cation and an anion halide, perchlorate, sulfate, fluoroborate, chloroferrate, etc.), or a covalently bonded 2H- or 4//-pyran may be formed. With the more basic anions... 

When diazomethane is slowly added to excess lactam, the anions formed can interact with unreacted lactam by means of hydrogen bonds to form ion pairs similar to those formed by acetic acid-tri-ethylamine mixtures in nonpolar solvents. The methyldiazonium ion is then involved in an ion association wdth the mono-anion of a dimeric lactam which is naturally less reactive than a free lactam anion. The velocity of the Sn2 reaction, Eq. (7), is thus decreased. However, the decomposition velocity of the methyldiazonium ion, Eq. (6a), is constant and, hence, the S l character of the reaction is increased which favors 0-methylation. It is possible that this effect is also involved in kinetic dependence investigations have shown that with higher saccharin concentrations more 0-methylsaccharin is formed. 

The transfer of an electron from a photoexcited donor molecule (D) to an acceptor molecule (A) to generate a highly reactive radical ion pair is the most fundamental photochemical reaction, and it can be generally expressed as... 

The results on the reaction of 1-octadecanol with octadecanoic acid in octadecyl octadecanoate22 are quite different from those relative to the same reaction carried out in benzophenone22 since the order with respect to acid is 1.5 in the first case and 2 in the second. Among the possible explanations of the lowering of the order in acid the most satisfactory is a non-negligible dissodation of the ion pair A and the formation of free RC(OH) . That such a process takes place in a non-polar medium (octadecyl octadecanoate) is rather surprising however, it can be supposed that all the reactive groups assemble in certain areas where they create a very polar medium and where water tends to be retained. In these areas, the dissociation of ion pairs would be easier and hence the overall order would decrease. 

However, an evaluation of the observed (overall) rate constants as a function of the water concentration (5 to 25 % in acetonitrile) does not yield constant values for ki and k2/k i. This result can be tentatively explained as due to changes in the water structure. Arnett et al. (1977) have found that bulk water has an H-bond acceptor capacity towards pyridinium ions about twice that of monomeric water and twice as strong an H-bond donor property towards pyridines. In the present case this should lead to an increase in the N — H stretching frequency in the o-complex (H-acceptor effect) and possibly to increased stabilization of the incipient triazene compound (H-donor effect). Water reduces the ion pairing of the diazonium salt and therefore increases its reactivity (Penton and Zollinger, 1971 Hashida et al., 1974 Juri and Bartsch, 1980), resulting in an increase in the rate of formation of the o-complex (ik ). 

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