Rate constants linear free-energy relationship

Solvents exert their influence on organic reactions through a complicated mixture of all possible types of noncovalent interactions. Chemists have tried to unravel this entanglement and, ideally, want to assess the relative importance of all interactions separately. In a typical approach, a property of a reaction (e.g. its rate or selectivity) is measured in a laige number of different solvents. All these solvents have unique characteristics, quantified by their physical properties (i.e. refractive index, dielectric constant) or empirical parameters (e.g. ET(30)-value, AN). Linear correlations between a reaction property and one or more of these solvent properties (Linear Free Energy Relationships - LFER) reveal which noncovalent interactions are of major importance. The major drawback of this approach lies in the fact that the solvent parameters are often not independent. Alternatively, theoretical models and computer simulations can provide valuable information. Both methods have been applied successfully in studies of the solvent effects on Diels-Alder reactions. 

The applicability of the two-parameter equation and the constants devised by Brown to electrophilic aromatic substitutions was tested by plotting values of the partial rate factors for a reaction against the appropriate substituent constants. It was maintained that such comparisons yielded satisfactory linear correlations for the results of many electrophilic substitutions, the slopes of the correlations giving the values of the reaction constants. If the existence of linear free energy relationships in electrophilic aromatic substitutions were not in dispute, the above procedure would suffice, and the precision of the correlation would measure the usefulness of the p+cr+ equation. However, a point at issue was whether the effect of a substituent could be represented by a constant, or whether its nature depended on the specific reaction. To investigate the effect of a particular substituent in different reactions, the values for the various reactions of the logarithms of the partial rate factors for the substituent were plotted against the p+ values of the reactions. This procedure should show more readily whether the effect of a substituent depends on the reaction, in which case deviations from a hnear relationship would occur. It was concluded that any variation in substituent effects was random, and not a function of electron demand by the electrophile. ... 

The Hammett equation is a linear free energy relationship (LFER). This can be demonstrated as follows for the case of equilibrium constants (for rate constants a similar demonstration can be made with AG instead of AG). For each reaction, where X is any group,... 

Wolfe NL. 1980. Organophosphate and organophosphorothionate esters Application of linear free energy relationships to estimate hydrolysis rate constants for use in environmental fate assessment. Chemosphere 9 571-579. 

It should be emphasized that the above equations, which relate reaction temperatures to calculated reactant or product energies, are equivalent to the more conventional linear free energy relationships, which relate logarithms of rate constants to calculated energies. It was felt that reactant temperatures would be more convenient to potential users of the present approach -those seeking possible new free radical initiators for polymerizations. 

Fig. 4. Linear free-energy relationship for the reaction, Co(NH3)50H2 " +X 5 Co(NH3)5X + H2O. Log k (rate coefficient) vs. log K (equilibrium constant).

Before terminating our discussion of the Hammett equation, we should note that the existence of linear correlations of the type indicated by equation 7.4.20 implies a linear free energy relationship. The rate or equilibrium constants can be eliminated from this equation using equation 7.4.1 that is,... 

Equation (9.72) is known as a linear free energy relationship, and it shows that there should be a linear relationship between the logarithm of the rate constant for a reaction and the free energy for the dissociation of the acid. 

A comparison of the rate constants for the [Cun(FLA)(IDPA)]+-cata-lyzed autoxidation of 4/-substituted derivatives of flavonol revealed a linear free energy relationship (Hammett) between the rate constants and the electronic effects of the para-substituents of the substrate (128). The logarithm of the rate constants linearly decreased with increasing Hammett o values, i.e. a higher electron density on the copper center yields a faster oxidation rate. 

The structure-reactivity relationship is a concept familiar to every organic chemist. As commonly used it refers to a linear free energy relationship, such as the Bronsted or Hammett equations, or some more general measure of the effect of changing substituent on the rate or equilibrium of a reaction. A substituent constant is conveniently defined as the effect of the substituent on the free-energy change for a control reaction. So the so-called structure-reactivity relationship is in fact usually a reactivity-reactivity relationship. 

The actual value of a rate constant for a reaction only infrequently gives a clue to its mechanism. Assessment of values within a reaction series may be more revealing, while comparisons of free energies of activation AG with free energies for the reactions AG, leading to the linear free-energy relationships (LFER), can be very useful in diagnosing mechanism. 

A plot of the logarithm of a rate constant (or an equilibrium constant) for one series of reactions versus the logarithm of the rate constant (or the equilibrium constant) for a related series of reactions. (Recall that at constant temperature and pressure the logarithm of an equilibrium constant is proportional to AG°, and the logarithm of a rate constant is proportional to AG ). An example of a linear free energy relationship is provided by the Hammett crp-equation. With equilibrium constants, this relationship is given by the expression ... 

Since log kR is proportional to A1 G,°/2.3 RT (Chapter 12), where kR denotes the reaction rate constant, we may also write this linear free energy relationship as ... 

Those linear free energy relationships that are derived from plotting the rate constants from one reaction against the equilibrium constants for another are clearly different from those arising from the chemistry of section A3. As such, the values of /3 are not restricted to 0 charge developed in the transition state. Consider, for example,... 

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