Nucleophilic substitution—continued solvent, effect

Rappoport and co-workers work has continued in a study of the substitution of ( )-and (Z)-/3-bromo- or chloro-styrenes, (1) and (2), by MeS in DMSO-d 6 (sometimes in admixture with CD3OD) as solvent. Product studies indicated retention stereochemistry rate measurements found only a small Br/Cl element effect, slower reactions of the p-OMe bromo compounds, and retardation by CD3OD. These results are consistent with Tiecco s suggestion in 1983 that even this system, activated by only a single phenyl group, reacts through the nucleophilic addition-elimination multistep route. 

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