Substitution reactions outer-sphere complex formation

DR. DAVID RORABACHER (Wayne State University) A point which is frequently overlooked is that the calculations generally applied for determining the extent of ion-pair (or outer-sphere complex) formation in substitution reactions may be overly simplistic. There are many types of interactions which tend to perturb the extent of outer-sphere complex formation relative to the purely statistical calculation commonly made which takes into account only the reactant radii and electrostatic factors. 

Iron(III)-catalyzed autoxidation of ascorbic acid has received considerably less attention than the comparable reactions with copper species. Anaerobic studies confirmed that Fe(III) can easily oxidize ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid. Xu and Jordan reported two-stage kinetics for this system in the presence of an excess of the metal ion, and suggested the fast formation of iron(III) ascorbate complexes which undergo reversible electron transfer steps (21). However, Bansch and coworkers did not find spectral evidence for the formation of ascorbate complexes in excess ascorbic acid (22). On the basis of a combined pH, temperature and pressure dependence study these authors confirmed that the oxidation by Fe(H20)g+ proceeds via an outer-sphere mechanism, while the reaction with Fe(H20)50H2+ is substitution-controlled and follows an inner-sphere electron transfer path. To some extent, these results may contradict with the model proposed by Taqui Khan and Martell (6), because the oxidation by the metal ion may take place before the ternary oxygen complex is actually formed in Eq. (17). 

Copper(II) and zinc(II) are two of the more labile divalent metal ions and as a consequence the former is too labile for its water exchange rate to be determined by the NMR methods which utilize the paramagnetism of other divalent first-row transition metal ions, while the latter is diamagnetic and such NMR methods cannot be applied. However, it has been shown that water exchange rates and mechanisms can be deduced with reasonable reliability from simple ligand substitution studies, and this is one of the reasons for a recent variable-pressure spec-trophotometric SF study of the substitution of 2-chloro-l,10-phenanthroline on Cu(II) and Zn(II). The observed rate constants for the complexation reaction (kc) and the decomplexation reaction (k ) and their associated activation parameters for Cu(II) and Zn(II) are kc(298 K) = 1.1 x 10 and 1.1 x 10 dm mol" s", AH = 33.6 and 37.9 kJ mol", A5 = 3 and -2JK- mol", AV = 7.1 and 5.0 cm" mol", k 29S K) = 102 and 887 s", AH = 60.6 and 57.3 kJ mol", A5 = -3 and 4 J K" mol" and A V = 5.2 and 4.1 cm" mol". These data are consistent with the operation of an mechanism for the rate-determining first bond formation by 2-chloro-l,10-phenanthroline with the subsequent chelation step being faster [Eq. (18)]. For this mechanistic sequence (in which [M(H20)6 L-L] is an outer-sphere complex) it may be shown that the relationships in Eq. (19) apply. 

The study of the effect of solvent upon the rate of complexation has revealed details of the reaction mechanism, and it is hoped that a study of the solvent-dependence of activation volumes may permit further elucidation of metal-ligand, metal-solvent and solvent-solvent interactions. According to the Eigen-Wilkins mechanism for ligand substitution reactions ( )(5)5 the first step is formation of an outer-sphere complex, characterised by an equilibrium constant Ki2 Subsequently the ligand enters the first coordination sphere and the forward rate constant for this step is identified with kg for exchange of... 

X = H2O, OH , CP, NCS , and Nj in all these cases the rates of reduction are rapid compared with the rates of substitution of X" in Fe(H20)6. No evidence is evinced for formation of VX complexes. It is noteworthy that OH exerts little effect on the rate of this reaction although it has a pronounced influence on the rate of other reactions of Fe(IlI) . This result, together with the observation that the other anions have similar effects on the rate, would seem to indicate that the FeX " reactions proceed via an outer sphere path. The... 

The aquated Co(III) ion is a powerful oxidant. The value of E = 1.88 V (p = 0) is independent of Co(III) concentration over a wide range suggesting little dimer formation. It is stable for some hours in solution especially in the presence of Co(II) ions. This permits examination of its reactions. The CoOH " species is believed to be much more reactive than COjq Ref. 208. Both outer sphere and substitution-controlled inner sphere mechanisms are displayed. As water in the Co(H20) ion is replaced by NHj the lability of the coordinated water is reduced. The cobalt(III) complexes which have been so well characterized by Werner are thus the most widely chosen substrates for investigating substitution behavior. This includes proton exchange in coordinated ammines, and all types of substitution reactions (Chap. 4) as well as stereochemical change (Table 7.8). The CoNjX" entity has featured widely in substitution investigations. There are extensive data for anation reactions of... 

Although direct complex formation is observed kinetically (stopped flow) and spectrophotometrically, where X = Br or Cl, the reaction with I results in an oxidation of the halide. The reactions are rapid and there is the question of inner- or outer-sphere electron transfer, for the [14]aneN4 complex. However, further studies (140) using ligand substituted (dimethyl) complexes reveal that for the rac-Me2[14]aneN4 isomer, two processes are observed, k = 2.9 x 104 M-1 sec-1 and a subsequent redox step, krci = 5.5 x 103 M-1 sec-1, both of which are iodide dependent. The mechanism proposed involves the formation of an octahedral complex which further reacts with a second mole of I- in the redox step ... 

The rate-controlling step in reductive dissolution of oxides is surface chemical reaction control. The dissolution process involves a series of ligand-substitution and electron-transfer reactions. Two general mechanisms for electron transfer between metal ion complexes and organic compounds have been proposed (Stone, 1986) inner-sphere and outer-sphere. Both mechanisms involve the formation of a precursor complex, electron transfer with the complex, and subsequent breakdown of the successor complex (Stone, 1986). In the inner-sphere mechanism, the reductant... 

The reductant and oxidant [M(II) and N(III), respectively] first come together to form a precursor complex. In an outer-sphere reaction this involves a simple diffusional process in an inner-sphere reaction a substitutional step culminating in the formation of... 

Cobalt(in) oxidizes 2-mercaptoethylamine (HMea) in [Co(en)2(Mea)] to the corresponding co-ordinated disulphide complex by pathways involving Co + and [CoOH] +. An outer-sphere mechanism is suggested by the activation entropy (—3.1 cal K mol ) for reaction with Co and the reaction with [CoOH] + is substitution controlled. Redox proceeds by formation of a co-ordinated radical complex [Co(en)2(Mea)] +,... 

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