Phosphate esters, stereoelectronic effects

A further test of the stereoelectronic theory of reactivity of phosphate esters has been attempted using measurements of the rates of displacement of 4-nitrophenate from the esters (23) and (24), their phosphorus epimers, and also (25), in aqueous methanol the introduction of the 4a-Me group into the system would, it was hoped, reduce the the flexibility of the bicyclic structures and so possibly eliminate the participation of twist-boat conformations. The presence of the 4a-Me group has no effect of the rate of displacement of the axial ArO group... 

Lehn and Wipff (72) and Gorenstein and co-workers (73-80) have proposed on the basis of molecular orbital calculations that stereoelectronic effects similar to those observed in esters and amides play also an important role in the hydrolysis of phosphate esters. For instance, calculations suggest that the axial P — OR bond in the trigonal bipyramid conformation 120 is weaker than that in the conformation 121 because in the former, the oxygen atom of the equatorial OR group has an electron pair anti peri planar to the axial P — OR bond. Experimental results tend to support this interesting proposal but additional experiments are needed before unambiguous conclusions can be reached (81). 

Stereoelectronic and Ring Strain Effects in Rates of Hydrolyses of Phosphate Esters... 

Taira, K. (1981) Stereoelectronic Effects in Phosphate Esters, ACS Symposium Series, vol. 171, pp. 69-75 ... 

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