Nucleophiles, partitioning of carbocations

Nuclear motion, the principle of least, and the theory of stereoelectronic control, 24, 113 Nucleophiles, partitioning of carbocations between addition and deprotonation. 35, 67 Nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution, 11,225 Nucleophilic catalysis of ester hydrolysis and related reactions, 5,237 Nucleophilic displacement reactions, gas-phase, 21, 197... 

Nucleophiles, partitioning of carbocations between addition and deprotonation, 35, 67... 

How Does Structure Determine Organic Reactivity Partitioning of Carbocations between Addition of Nucleophiles and Deprotonation... 

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of stepwise nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions of alkyl derivatives, and we present a small amount of unpublished data from our laboratory.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. 

The determination of large values of the rate constant ratio ks/kpfrom the low yields of alkene product that forms by partitioning of carbocations in nucleophilic solvents. These rate constant ratios may then be combined with absolute rate constants for the overall decay of the carbocation to give absolute values of kp (s ).14 16 For example, the reaction of the l-(4-methylphenyl)ethyl carbocation in 50/50 (v/v) trifluoroethanol/water gives mainly the solvent adducts and a 0.07% yield of 4-methylstyrene from proton transfer to solvent, which corresponds to kjkp = 1400. This can be combined with ks = 6 x 109 s V4 to give kp = 4.2 x 106 s l (Table 1). 

In summary, there now exists a body of data for the reactions of carbocations where the values of kjkp span a range of > 106-fold (Table 1). This requires that variations in the substituents at a cationic center result in a >8 kcal mol-1 differential stabilization of the transition states for nucleophile addition and proton transfer which have not yet been fully rationalized. We discuss in this review the explanations for the large changes in the rate constant ratio for partitioning of carbocations between reaction with Bronsted and Lewis bases that sometimes result from apparently small changes in carbocation structure. 

The values of ks/kp for partitioning of carbocations are most conveniently determined as the ratio of the yields of products from the competing nucleophile addition and proton transfer reactions (equation 1 derived for Scheme 2). The determination of these product yields has been simplified in recent years by the application of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Typically, the product peaks from an HPLC analysis are detected and quantified by UV-vis spectroscopy. In cases where the absorbance of reactants and products is small, substrates may be prepared with a chromophore placed at a sufficient distance so that its effects on the intrinsic reactivity of the carbocationic center are negligible. For example, the aliphatic substrates [1]-Y have proved to be very useful in studies of the reactions of the model tertiary carbocation [1+].21,23... 

It is often difficult to understand at an intuitive level the explanation for the effect of changing substituents on the rate constant ratio kjkp for partitioning of carbocations between nucleophilic addition of solvent and deprotonation. In these cases, insight into the origins of the changes in this rate constant ratio requires a systematic evaluation of substituent effects on the following ... 

Fig. 4 Free energy reaction coordinate profiles that illustrate a change in the relative kinetic barriers for partitioning of carbocations between nucleophilic addition of solvent and deprotonation resulting from a change in the curvature of the potential energy surface for the nucleophile addition reaction. This would correspond to an increase in the intrinsic barrier for the thermoneutral carbocation-nucleophile addition reaction.

The results described in this review provide support for the following generalizations about the influence of thermodynamics and intrinsic kinetic barriers on the partitioning of carbocations between nucleophilic addition of aqueous solvents to form a tetrahedral adduct (ks) and proton transfer to these solvents to form an alkene (kp). 

Partitioning of carbocations between addition of nucleophiles and deprotonation, 35, 67 Perchloro-organic chemistry structure, spectroscopy and reaction pathways, 25, 267 Permutational isomerization of pentavalent phosphorus compounds, 9, 25 Phase-transfer catalysis by quaternary ammonium salts, 15, 267 Phosphate esters, mechanism and catalysis of nucleophilic substitution in, 25, 99 Phosphorus compounds, pentavalent, turnstile rearrangement and pseudoration in permutational isomerization, 9, 25... 

Partitioning of carbocations between addition of nucleophiles and deprotonation,... 

Table 1 Rate and equilibrium constants for partitioning of substituted a-methyl carbocations R (R2)CCH3+ between nucleophilic addition of solvent (ks) and deprotonation (kp) (Scheme 7)°... 

It was expected that values of ks/kp for partitioning of [1+] could be obtained from the yields of the products of acid-catalyzed reactions of [l]-OH and [2]. However, significantly different relative yields of these products are obtained from the perchloric acid-catalyzed reactions of [l]-OH and [2] in several mixed alcohol/water solvents.21 This demonstrates that the nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions of these two substrates do not proceed through identical tertiary carbocation intermediates (Scheme 4). The observed... 

To what extent is the partitioning of simple aliphatic and benzylic a-CH-substituted carbocations in nucleophilic solvents controlled by the relative thermodynamic driving force for proton transfer and nucleophile addition reactions It is known that the partitioning of simple aliphatic carbocations favors the formation of nucleophile adducts (ksjkp > 1, Scheme 2) and there is good evidence that this reflects, at least in part, the larger thermodynamic driving force for the nucleophilic addition compared with the proton transfer reaction of solvent (A dd U Scheme 6).12 21,22,24... 

The more favorable partitioning of [1+ ] to form [l]-OH than to form [2] must be due, at least in part, to the 4.0 kcal mol-1 larger thermodynamic driving force for the former reaction (Kadd = 900 for conversion of [2] to [l]-OH, Table 1). However, thermodynamics alone cannot account for the relative values of ks and kp for reactions of [1+] that are limited by the rate of chemical bond formation, which may be as large as 600. A ratio of kjkp = 600 would correspond to a 3.8 kcal mol-1 difference in the activation barriers for ks and kp, which is almost as large as the 4.0 kcal mol 1 difference in the stability of [1]-OH and [2]. However, only a small fraction of this difference should be expressed at the relatively early transition states for the reactions of [1+], because these reactions are strongly favored thermodynamically. These results are consistent with the conclusion that nucleophile addition to [1+] is an inherently easier reaction than deprotonation of this carbocation, and therefore that nucleophile addition has a smaller Marcus intrinsic barrier. However, they do not allow for a rigorous estimate of the relative intrinsic barriers As — Ap for these reactions. 

---