Proton concerted

The bifurcational diagram (fig. 44) shows how the (Qo,li) plane breaks up into domains of different behavior of the instanton. In the Arrhenius region at T> classical transitions take place throughout both saddle points. When T < 7 2 the extremal trajectory is a one-dimensional instanton, which crosses the maximum barrier point, Q = q = 0. Domains (i) and (iii) are separated by domain (ii), where quantum two-dimensional motion occurs. The crossover temperatures, Tci and J c2> depend on AV. When AV Vq domain (ii) is narrow (Tci — 7 2), so that in the classical regime the transfer is stepwise, while the quantum motion is a two-proton concerted transfer. This is the case when the tunneling path differs from the classical one. The concerted transfer changes into the two-dimensional motion at the critical value of parameter That is, when... 

A general reaction of 1 -acyl-2- )r m-alkylaairidin B fa the pyrolytic rearrangement to an uneaturated amide1 . -SM (Eq, 72). Stereochemical evidence supports the view that the reaction involves the intramolecular aVdinination of a proton concerted with the opening, of the aziridine dug (transition state, XLVI). So... 

Further studies have shown that there is evidence for the double proton transfer reaction arising from a two-proton concerted process <93JAioi58>. In addition to this excited-state double proton transfer, an excited state complex ((l)-alcohol exciplex) exists in alcohol solvents <83JPC3202>. This exciplex formation is responsible for the unusually long wavelength shift and the bandwidth of the fluorescence spectra of compound (1) in alcoholic and aqueous solvents. In aqueous solution at neutral pH, only one fluorescence is observed which corresponds to the fluorescence maximum displayed by the tautomeric species <92JA8343,93JPC11823). 

Fig. 1. The rate-determining step in the neutral hydrolysis of paramethoxy-phenyl dichloroacetate. In the reactant state (a) a water molecule is in proximity of the carbonyl carbon after concerted proton transfer to a second water molecule and electron redistribution, a tetrahedral intermediate (b) is formed.

Dehydrohalogenation of alkyl halides (Sections 5 14-5 16) Strong bases cause a proton and a halide to be lost from adjacent carbons of an alkyl halide to yield an alkene Regioselectivity is in accord with the Zaitsev rule The order of halide reactivity is I > Br > Cl > F A concerted E2 reaction pathway is followed carbocations are not involved and rearrangements do not occur An anti coplanar arrangement of the proton being removed and the halide being lost characterizes the transition state... 

Section 5 15 Dehydrohalogenation of alkyl halides by alkoxide bases is not compli cated by rearrangements because carbocations are not intermediates The mechanism is E2 It is a concerted process m which the base abstracts a proton from the p carbon while the bond between the halogen and the a carbon undergoes heterolytic cleavage... 

The point was made earlier (Section 5 9) that alcohols require acid catalysis in order to undergo dehydration to alkenes Thus it may seem strange that aldol addition products can be dehydrated in base This is another example of the way in which the enhanced acidity of protons at the a carbon atom affects the reactions of carbonyl com pounds Elimination may take place in a concerted E2 fashion or it may be stepwise and proceed through an enolate ion... 

Fuke and Kaya [1989] studied the vibrational selectivity of concerted two-proton transfer in 7-azoindole in the excited electronic state... 

Figure 13.12 A concerted mechanism for GTP hydrolysis by Ga in which transfer of a proton to the y phosphate is coupled to deprotonation of the attacking water by Gin 200. (Adapted from J. Sondek et al., Nature 372 276-279, 1994.)...

In solvents containing low concentrations of water in acetic acid, dioxane, or sulfolane, most of the alcohol is formed by capture of water with retention of configuradon. This result has been explained as involving a solvent-separated ion pair which would arise as a result of concerted protonation and nitrogen elimination. ... 

A significant modification in the stereochemistry is observed when the double bond is conjugated with a group that can stabilize a carbocation intermediate. Most of the specific cases involve an aryl substituent. Examples of alkenes that give primarily syn addition are Z- and -l-phenylpropene, Z- and - -<-butylstyrene, l-phenyl-4-/-butylcyclohex-ene, and indene. The mechanism proposed for these additions features an ion pair as the key intermediate. Because of the greater stability of the carbocations in these molecules, concerted attack by halide ion is not required for complete carbon-hydrogen bond formation. If the ion pair formed by alkene protonation collapses to product faster than reorientation takes place, the result will be syn addition, since the proton and halide ion are initially on the same side of the molecule. 

As depicted, the E2 mechanism involves a bimolecular transition state in which removal of a proton to the leaving group is concerted with departure of the leaving group. In contrast, the rate-determining step in the El mechanism is the unimolecular ionization of... 

Solutions of unstable enols of simple ketones and aldehydes can also be generated in water by addition of a solution of the enolate to water. The initial protonation takes place on oxygen, generating the enol, which is then ketonized at a rate that depends on the solution pH. The ketonization exhibits both acid and base catalysis. Acid catalysis involves C-protonation with concerted 0-deprotonation. 

There is an intermediate mechanism between these extremes. This is a general acid catalysis in which the proton transfer and the C—O bond rupture occur as a concerted process. The concerted process need not be perfectly synchronous that is, proton transfer might be more complete at the transition state than C—O rupture, or vice versa. These ideas are represented in a three-dimensional energy diagram in Fig. 8.1. 

Fig. 8.1. Representation of transition states for the first stage of acetal hydrolysis, (a) Initial C—O bond breaking (b) concerted mechanism with C—O bond breaking leading O—H bond formation (c) concerted mechanism with proton transfer leading C—O bond breaking (d) initial proton transfer.

Fig. 8.2. Contour plot showing a favOTed concerted mechanism for the first step in acetal hydrolysis, in which proton transfer is more complete in the transition state than C—O bond breaking.

Fig. 8.3. Three-dimensional potential energy diagram for addition of a proton and nucleophile to a caibonyl group, (a) Proton transfer complete before nucleophilic addition begins (b) nucleophilic addition complete before proton transfer begins (c) concerted proton transfer and nucleophilic addition.

Certain molecules that can permit concerted proton transfers are efficient catalysts for reactions at carbonyl centers. An example is the catalytic effect that 2-pyridone has on the aminolysis of esters. Although neither a strong base (pA aH+ = 0.75) nor a strong acid (pJsfa = 11.6), 2-pyridone is an effective catalyst of the reaction of -butylamine with 4-nitrophenyl acetate. The overall rate is more than 500 times greater when 2-pyridone acts... 

The concerted nature of proton transfer contributes to its rapid rate. The energy cost of breaking the H—Cl bond is partially offset by the energy released in forming the new bond between the transfened proton and the oxygen of the alcohol. Thus, the activation energy is far- less than it would be for a hypothetical two-step process in which the H—Cl bond breaks first, followed by bond formation between FF and the alcohol. 

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