Solvated conjugate

Br0nsted acids (I-L4) undergo dissociation in any solvent to yield the solvated aquahydronium ion [(sol)nH30(aq)] from residual H20 or [(sol) Hsol+] for basic solvents, which further dissociates to H30(tq) [Eq. (8.13)], and the solvated conjugate base [A (sol) ]... 

Ionisations 2, 3 and 5 are complete ionisations so that in water HCI and HNO3 are completely ionised and H2SO4 is completely ionised as a monobasic acid. Since this is so, all these acids in water really exist as the solvated proton known as the hydrogen ion, and as far as their acid properties are concerned they are the same conjugate acid species (with different conjugate bases). Such acids are termed strong acids or more correctly strong acids in water. (In ethanol as solvent, equilibria such as 1 would be the result for all the acids quoted above.) Ionisations 4 and 6 do not proceed to completion... 

Procedures to compute acidities are essentially similar to those for the basicities discussed in the previous section. The acidities in the gas phase and in solution can be calculated as the free energy changes AG and AG" upon proton release of the isolated and solvated molecules, respectively. To discuss the relative strengths of acidity in the gas and aqueous solution phases, we only need the magnitude of —AG and — AG" for haloacetic acids relative to those for acetic acids. Thus the free energy calculations for acetic acid, haloacetic acids, and each conjugate base are carried out in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. 

Specific acid catalysis is observed when a reaction proceeds through a protonated intermediate that is in equilibrium with its conjugate base. Because the position of this equilibrium is a function of the concentration of solvated protons, only a single acid-dependent term appears in the kinetic expression. For example, in a two-step reaction involving rate-determining reaction of one reagent with the conjugate acid of a second, the kinetic expression will be as follows ... 

We consider first the Sn2 type of process. (In some important Sn2 reactions the solvent may function as the nucleophile. We will treat solvent nucleophilicity as a separate topic in Chapter 8.) Basicity toward the proton, that is, the pKa of the conjugate acid of the nucleophile, has been found to be less successful as a model property for reactions at saturated carbon than for nucleophilic acyl transfers, although basicity must have some relationship to nucleophilicity. Bordwell et al. have demonstrated very satisfactory Brjinsted-type plots for nucleophilic displacements at saturated carbon when the basicities and reactivities are measured in polar aprotic solvents like dimethylsulfoxide. The problem of establishing such simple correlations in hydroxylic solvents lies in the varying solvation stabilization within a reaction series in H-bond donor solvents. 

A comparison of the second-order rate coefficients for nitration of 2,4,6-tri-methylpyridine and 1,2,4,6-tetramethylpyridinium ion (both at the 3-position) shows similarity of profile in the common acidity region and a rapidly increasing rate with acidity for the trimethyl compound at acidities below 90 wt. % (where the usual maximum is obtained). These two pieces of evidence show reaction to occur on the conjugate acid as also indicated by the large negative entropy of activation. Surprisingly, the tetramethyl compound is less reactive than the trimethyl compound so maybe this is an example of steric hindrance to solvation. Calculation of the encounter rate also showed that reaction on the free base was unlikely. 

Polymers for these conductive systems may be synthesised by a variety of means including Ziegler-Natta polymerisation or nucleophilic displacement reactions. The molecules tend to be rigid because of the need for them to possess extended conjugation. This lack of free rotation about carbon-carbon bonds within the molecule imposes a high energy barrier to solvation, thus making these molecules difficult to dissolve. This lack of solubility in turn... 

The former, which occurs in tetrahydrofuran, favors dimerization, while the latter, which takes place in hexamethylphoshoramide, is shifted far to the left. In spite of the complicating effects of solvation and association with counter ions, it appears that within a reaction series of conjugated radical ions, the following relation holds... 

Until now, the overwhelming majority of disproportionations of larger molecules studied have concerned conjugated systems. Since all respective oxidation levels possess the same number of a bonds, consideration can be restricted to rr-electron energies. In solution, however, solvation energy should be taken into account. 

Protonation and solvation in strong aqueous acids, 13, 83 Protonation sites in ambident conjugated systems, 11, 267 Pseudorotation in isomerization of pentavalent phosphorus compounds, 9, 25 Pyrolysis, gas-phase, of small-ring hydrocarbons, 4, 147... 

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