Kinetically controlled reactions nucleophilic substitution

It was recognized in early examples of nucleophilic addition to acceptor-substituted allenes that formation of the non-conjugated product 158 is a kinetically controlled reaction. On the other hand, the conjugated product 159 is the result of a thermodynamically controlled reaction [205, 215]. Apparently, after the attack of the nucleophile on the central carbon atom of the allene 155, the intermediate 156 is formed first. This has to execute a torsion of 90° to merge into the allylic carbanion 157. Whereas 156 can only yield the product 158 by proton transfer, the protonation of 157 leads to both 158 and 159. 

Kinetic studies have shown that the enolate and phosphorus nucleophiles all react at about the same rate. This suggests that the only step directly involving the nucleophile (step 2 of the propagation sequence) occurs at essentially the diffusion-controlled rate so that there is little selectivity among the individual nucleophiles. The synthetic potential of the reaction lies in the fact that other substituents which activate the halide to substitution are not required in this reaction, in contrast to aromatic nucleophilic substitution which proceeds by an addition-elimination mechanism (see Seetion 10.5). 

In this chapter we review published results of studies of the kinetics and products of stepwise nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions of alkyl derivatives, and we present a small amount of unpublished data from our laboratory. Our review of the literature is selective rather than comprehensive, and focuses on work that provides interesting insight into the factors that control the rate constant ratio ks/kp for partitioning of carbocations, and that provides an understanding of how the absolute rate constants ks and kp that constitute this ratio change with changing carbocation structure. 

Oxidation of unfunctionalized alkanes is notoriously difficult to perform selectively, because breaking of a C-H bond is required. Although oxidation is thermodynamically favourable, there are limited kinetic pathways for reaction to occur. For most alkanes, the hydrogens are not labile, and, as the carbon atom cannot expand its valence electron shell beyond eight electrons, there is no mechanism for electrophilic or nucleophilic substitution short of using extreme (superacid or superbase) conditions. Alkane oxidations are therefore normally radical processes, and thus difficult to control in terms of selectivity. Nonetheless, some oxidations of alkanes have been performed under supercritical conditions, although it is probable that these actually proceed via radical mechanisms. 

Examination of the reactivity of acyclic (diene)Fe(CO)3 complexes indicates that this nucleophilic addition is reversible. The reaction of (C4H6)Fe(CO)3 with strong carbon nucleophiles, followed by protonation, gives olefinic products 195 and 196 (Scheme 49)187. The ratio of 195 and 196 depends upon the reaction temperature and time. Thus, for short reaction time and low temperature (0.5 h, —78 °C) the product from attack at C2 (i.e. 195) predominates while at higher temperature and longer reaction time (2 h, 0 °C) the product from attack at Cl (i.e. 196) predominates. This selectivity is rationalized by kinetically controlled attack at the more electron-poor carbon (C2) at low temperature. Nucleophilic attack is reversible and, under conditions where an equilibrium is established, the thermodynamically more stable (allyl)Fe(CO)3" is favored. The regioselectivity for nucleophilic attack on substituted (diene)Fe(CO)3 complexes has been reported187. The... 

Strong nucleophiles such as organolithium or organomagnesium derivatives do not react with substituted or unsubstituted phosphabenzene or arsabenzene (39, Y = P or As) by nucleophilic substitution as in the case of pyridines, but by addition to the heteroatom forming intermediate anions 40. These can then be converted into nonaromatic compounds by reaction with water to yield 1-alkyl-1,2-dihydro-derivatives 41, or they can be alkylated by an alkyl halide with the same or a different alkyl group, when two products may result a 1,2-dialkyl-1,2-dihydro 40-derivative 42, or a -derivative 43. The former products are kinetically controlled, whereas the latter compounds are thermodynamically controlled, so that one may favor the desired product by choosing the appropriate reaction conditions. 

A major distinction for nucleophilic reactions with ambident anions is whether they proceed with kinetic or thermodynamic control.80 N-Substituted saccharins (10) should be thermodynamically more stable because of amide character than the isomeric pseudosaccharin (3) of imidate structure. In fact 3 may be rearranged thermally to 10 in an irreversible reaction.96 The threshold for thermodynamic control appears to be lowered for electrophiles with multiple bonds, e.g., formaldehyde, reactive derivatives of carboxylic acids, but also quaternary salts of N-heterocyclic compounds.80 It will be seen that in those cases substitution indeed occurs at the nitrogen, not necessarily through thermodynamic control. 

Two major mechanisms have to be taken into consideration for the alkylation of Co -corrins. The classical mechanism of a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction at carbon (the Co -corrin acts as a nucleophile) leads to /3-aUcylated Co -corrins with high diastereoselectivity. Secondly, an electron transfer-induced radical process (where the Co -corrin acts as a one-electron reducing agent) may also lead to cobalt alkylation. The observed formation of incomplete a-aUcylated Co -corrins under kinetically controlled conditions has been proposed to occur via this path. The high nucleophilic reactivity of Co -corrins and their diastereoselective nucleophilic reaction on the ( upper ) /3-face are not increased by the nucleotide function on the ( lower ) a-face rather they appear to be an inherent reactivity of the corrin-bound tetracoordinate Co -center. Among the organometallic B12 derivatives prepared to date, neopentylcobalamin, benzylcobalamin, and... 

Reacthity of chlorotropylium cations with nucleophiles. Alkuxy-, alkylthio-, and N-alkyl-N-arylaminotropylium. salts are prepared by reaction of chlorotropybum salts with alcohols, thiols, and N-alkyl-N-arylamines, respectively. With dimethylamine or with benzenesulfonamides chlorotropylium salts rearrange to yield bis(dimethyl-amino)phenylmethane or N-benzylidencsulfonamides. It is postulated that the formation of chlorocycloheptatrienes (IA, IB, 1C) is kinetically controlled, whereas substituted tropylium ions (3) are formed under thermodynamic control. 

Two a-complexes may form during a substitution reaction the first, being incapable of undergoing substitution, reverts back to reactants which form a new complex. Thus, picryl chloride first reacts reversibly with a variety of nucleophiles in DMSO at unsubstituted carbon atom 3 to give complex 2 reflecting kinetic control. Substitution takes place by a slower irreversible reaction when a nucleophile adds to position 1 which contains the chloride ion leaving group.16)... 

If the rate of nucleophile attack governs the product distribution (the nucleophilic attack is not reversible at the given temperature), the major product will be the 1,2-addition product that results from Nu attack at the greatest partial plus (kinetic control. Section 2.6). However, if the addition of the nucleophile is reversible (higher temperature or the Nu is a good L), then the 1,4-addition product will be formed because the more substituted double bond is the more stable product (thermodynamic control. Section 2.6). Suspect kinetic control if the reaction temperature is significantly below 0°C. Diene example (AdE2) ... 

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