Concerted proton transfer

Fig. 8 Potential mechanisms for hydrolysis of phosphomonoester monoanions. In mechanism (a), proton transfer from the phosphoryl group to the ester oxygen (probably via the intermediacy of a water molecule) yields an anionic zwitterion intermediate. This may react in either concerted fashion (upper pathway) or via a discrete metaphosphate intermediate in a preassociative mechanism (bottom pathway). Mechanism (b) denotes proton transfer concerted with P-O(R) bond fission. As with (a), such a mechanism could either occur with concerted phosphoryl transfer to the nucleophile (upper pathway) or via a discrete metaphosphate intermediate in a preassociative mechanism (bottom pathway).

Fig. 3. Two mechanistic possibilities for phosphoryl transfer of the monoanionic species of a phosphate monoester (a) stepwise transfer of the proton to the bridge oxygen atom in a preequilibrium step (b) proton transfer concerted with P-0 bond cleavage.

The aminolysis of cephalosporins follows a similar mechanism to that for penicillins (Proctor and Page, 1984). Although it has been suggested that the hydroxide-ion catalysed aminolysis involves proton transfer concerted with nucleophilic attack (Bundgaard, 1975), the Bronsted P -values of ca 1.0 are consistent with the stepwise mechanism. This is also supported by the non-linear dependence of the rate of aminolysis of cephalosporins upon hydroxide ion concentration (Proctor and Page, 1984) (see Section 12). 

Figure 17.6 Energetically most favorable pathway for the hydrolysis of ATP in myosin. (R) The reactant state. The thin arrow indicates the breaking of the P-0 bond, (ml) This results in the formation of a metaphosphate (POj"), (m2) in which water W(, reorients to form a H-bond with SerlSI (thick arrow). (m2-g1) Transition state between panels m2 and g1. Protons transfer concertedly from the attacking water W, to the helping water W, to the Seri 81 side chain, and to the y-phosphate oxygen, while the resulting hydroxyl W," attacks...

The imidazole-catalysed hydrolysis of polar substituted 2,4-dinitrophenyl acetates (21 X = Cl, OMe) has been investigated at different temperatures. The observed rates correspond to the bimolecular nucleophilic addition of the imidazole at the carboxylic carbon atom followed by a very fast hydrolysis of the (V-acetylimidazole in water. The influence of polar substituents in the acid moiety of the ester molecule on the hydrolysis reaction can be described by an electrostatic dipole-dipole interaction in the same way as the neutral hydrolysis of polar substituted ethyl acetates. By the use of both quantum and classical dynamics, a study of the neutral hydrolysis of 4-methoxyphenyl dichloroacetate (22) in water concluded that the rate-determining step is a proton transfer concerted with formation of a C-O bond. ... 

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.

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

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. 

FIGURE 16.27 A mechanism for the aspartic proteases. In the first step, two concerted proton transfers facilitate nucleophilic attack of water on the substrate carbonyl carbon. In the third step, one aspartate residue (Asp" " in pepsin) accepts a proton from one of the hydroxyl groups of the amine dihydrate, and the other aspartate (Asp" ) donates a proton to the nitrogen of the departing amine. 

Isotope effect between the HH, HD, DH, and DD isotopomers was used as an important tool to determine the mechanism of the double-proton transfer. For concerted degenerate double-proton transfers in the absence of tunneling, the rule of the geometrical mean (RGM) should hold in good approximation, which states that /chh/ hd = /cdh/ dd-Tunneling may lead to a breakdown of this rule but the relation /chh > hd = dh > dd should remain valid. In the absence of secondary isotope effects the relation /chh HD = DH = 2 /cdd sliould liold for a stepwise pathway, even if tunneling is involved. 

Rates of addition to carbonyls (or expulsion to regenerate a carbonyl) can be estimated by appropriate forms of Marcus Theory. " These reactions are often subject to general acid/base catalysis, so that it is commonly necessary to use Multidimensional Marcus Theory (MMT) - to allow for the variable importance of different proton transfer modes. This approach treats a concerted reaction as the result of several orthogonal processes, each of which has its own reaction coordinate and its own intrinsic barrier independent of the other coordinates. If an intrinsic barrier for the simple addition process is available then this is a satisfactory procedure. Intrinsic barriers are generally insensitive to the reactivity of the species, although for very reactive carbonyl compounds one finds that the intrinsic barrier becomes variable. ... 

The suggested catalytic cycle for the diamine catalysts indicates that the NH group of the diamine plays a direct role in the hydride transfer through a six-membered TS.53 A feature of this mechanism is the absence of direct contact between the ketone and the metal. Rather, the reaction is pictured as a nucleophilic delivery of hydride from ruthenium, concerted with a proton transfer from nitrogen. 

The minimum-energy TSs are planar and the O—H and C—H bond orders were usually less than 0.4 and less than 0.5, respectively, and the S—C bond order was less than 0.5. The C-C bond order was around 1.3. The reaction can be described as a concerted intramolecular proton transfer, with the sulfoxide oxygen acting as a base and the sulfur as a leaving group. 

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