Nucleophilic constant formation

All these facts—the observation of second order kinetics nucleophilic attack at the carbonyl group and the involvement of a tetrahedral intermediate—are accommodated by the reaction mechanism shown m Figure 20 5 Like the acid catalyzed mechanism it has two distinct stages namely formation of the tetrahedral intermediate and its subsequent dissociation All the steps are reversible except the last one The equilibrium constant for proton abstraction from the carboxylic acid by hydroxide is so large that step 4 is for all intents and purposes irreversible and this makes the overall reaction irreversible... 

The other C=N systems included in Scheme 8.2 are more stable to aqueous hydrolysis than are the imines. For many of these compounds, the equilibrium constants for formation are high, even in aqueous solution. The additional stability can be attributed to the participation of the atom adjacent to the nitrogen in delocalized bonding. This resonance interaction tends to increase electron density at the sp carbon and reduces its reactivity toward nucleophiles. 

Anhydrides and esters may differ in two ways. One may undergo nucleophilic addition more rapidly (kinetics), but the other may create a more favorable equilibrium constant for ester formation (thermodynamics). 

The sum of all results is consistent with the formation of both the aryl cation and the aryl radical in the aqueous acid system without copper, and with the dominance of the aryl radical in the presence of copper. The product ratios are also qualitatively consistent with the hypothesis that the reactivity of aryl cations with nucleophiles is close to that of a diffusion-controlled process (see Sec. 8.3), and that aryl radicals have arylation rate constants that are about two orders of magnitude smaller than that for diffusion control (0.4-1.7 X 107 m-1s-1 Kryger et al., 1977 Scaiano and Stewart, 1983). Due to the relatively low yields of these dediazoniations in the pentyl nitrite/benzene systems, no conclusions should be drawn from the results. 

IV-methyl pyrolidinone is used in most cases. Figure 5.31 summarizes the main reaction which can take place during the process and the corresponding rate constant. The formation of diamide has also been evidenced.140 The reactivity is governed by the electron affinity of the anhydride and the ionization potential or basicity of the diamine (see Section 5.2.2.1). When a diacid with a low electron affinity reacts with a weak nucleophilic diamine, a low-molecular-weight is obtained, because the reverse reaction is not negligible compared with the forward reaction. 

Reversible formation of ionic intermediates in halogenated solvents has been suggested to be due to the weakly nucleophilic character of the counteranion, the tribromide ion, which should dissociate into nucleophilic bromide and free bromine before reacting with the bromonium ion (refs. 11,25,26). In order to check this hypothesis the product distribution of the c/s-stilbene bromination in chloroform was investigated (ref. 27). In the latter solvent the formation constant of Br3 is considerably lower than in DCE, Kf = 2.77 (0.13) x 10 against > 2 x 107 M 1. (ref. 28). As a consequence, at 10 3 M [Br2] relevant amounts of bromide ions are present as counteranion of the bromonium intermediate. Nevertheless, the same trend for the isomerization of cis- to rran -stilbene, as well as an increase of... 

The pKj, value (2.43) of the hydration constant of the cyanidin was found to be lower than the pKj, values of glycosylated and acylated cyanidins, meaning lower resistance of the anthocyanidin to hydration. The stability of nonacylated 3,5-diglucosides was lower compared to the 3-glucoside because the 5 position markedly lowered the hydration constant due to decreased electron density of the pyrilium ring that favors nucleophilic attack by water, enhancing hemiacetal formation. ... 

The determinations of absolute rate constants with values up to ks = 1010 s-1 for the reaction of carbocations with water and other nucleophilic solvents using either the direct method of laser flash photolysis1 or the indirect azide ion clock method.8 These values of ks (s ) have been combined with rate constants for carbocation formation in the microscopic reverse direction to give values of KR (m) for the equilibrium addition of water to a wide range of benzylic carbocations.9 13... 

The demonstration that formation of the nucleophile adduct R-Nu results in the same proportional decrease in the yields of the alkene and solvent adducts, so that the ratio of the yields of these reaction products is independent of [Nu-]. If the solvolysis and elimination reactions proceed by competing stepwise and concerted pathways, respectively, then the yield of R-OSolv will decrease with increasing trapping of the carbocation intermediate by added nucleophile, while the yield of alkene from elimination will remain constant, so that the ratio [R-OSolv]/[Alkene] will decrease as [Nu ] is increased. 

Fig. 5 Logarithmic plots of rate-equilibrium data for the formation and reaction of ring-substituted 1-phenylethyl carbocations X-[6+] in 50/50 (v/v) trifluoroethanol/water at 25°C (data from Table 2). Correlation of first-order rate constants hoh for the addition of water to X-[6+] (Y) and second-order rate constants ( h)so1v for the microscopic reverse specific-acid-catalyzed cleavage of X-[6]-OH to form X-[6+] ( ) with the equilibrium constants KR for nucleophilic addition of water to X-[6+]. Correlation of first-order rate constants kp for deprotonation of X-[6+] ( ) and second-order rate constants ( hW for the microscopic reverse protonation of X-[7] by hydronium ion ( ) with the equilibrium constants Xaik for deprotonation of X-[6+]. The points at which equal rate constants are observed for reaction in the forward and reverse directions (log ATeq = 0) are indicated by arrows.

The partitioning of ferrocenyl-stabilized carbocations [30] between nucleophile addition and deprotonation (Scheme 18) has been studied by Bunton and coworkers. In some cases the rate constants for deprotonation and nucleophile addition are comparable, but in others they favor formation of the nucleophile adduct. However, the alkene product of deprotonation of [30] is always the thermodynamically favored product.120. In other words, the addition of water to [30] gives an alcohol that is thermodynamically less stable than the alkene that forms by deprotonation of [30], but the reaction passes over an activation barrier whose height is equal to, or smaller than, the barrier for deprotonation of [30], These data require that the intrinsic barrier for thermoneutral addition of water to [30] (As) be smaller than the intrinsic barrier for deprotonation of [30] (Ap). It is not known whether the magnitude of (Ap — As) for the reactions of [30] is similar to the values of (Ap - As) = 4-6 kcal mol 1 reported here for the partitioning of a-methyl benzyl carbocations. 

The observed value of kjkp for partitioning of the simple tertiary carbocation [1+] is smaller than that expected if the nucleophilic addition of solvent were to occur by rate-determining chemical bond formation. This is probably because solvent addition is limited by the rate constant for reorganization of the solvation shell that surrounds the carbocation. 

The quantum yields for oxetane formation have not been determined in every case, and only a few relative rate constants are known. The reactivities of singlet and triplet states of alkyl ketones are very nearly equal in attack on electron rich olefins. 72> However, acetone singlets are about an order of magnitude more reactive in nucleophilic attack on electron-deficient olefins. 61 > Oxetane formation is competitive with a-cleavage, hydrogen abstraction and energy-transfer reactions 60 64> so the absolute rates must be reasonably high. Aryl aldehydes and ketones add to olefins with lower quantum yields, 66> and 3n-n states are particularly unreactive. 76>... 

Spectroscopically invisible carbenes can be monitored by the ylide method .92 Here, the carbene reacts with a nucleophile Y to form a strongly absorbing and long-lived ylide, competitively with all other routes of decay. Although pyridine (Py) stands out as the most popular probe, nitriles and thiones have also been used. In the presence of an additional quencher, the observed pseudo-first-order rate constant for ylide formation is given by Eq. 2.92,93 A plot of obs vs. [Q] at constant [Y ] will provide kq. With Q = HX, complications can arise from protonation of Y and/or the derived ylides. The available data indicate that alcohols are compatible with the pyridine-ylide probe technique. 

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