Transition states rate-determining step

Myers et al. found that silyl enolates derived from amides undergo a facile non-catalyzed aldol addition to aldehydes at or below ambient temperature [90]. In particular, the use of cyclic silyl enolate 27, derived from (S)-prolinol propionamide, realizes high levels of diastereoface-selection and simple diastereoselection (anti selectivity) (Scheme 10.27). It has been proposed that this non-catalyzed highly stereoselective reaction proceeds via attack of an aldehyde on 27 to produce a trigonal bipyramidal intermediate 29 in which the aldehyde is apically bound 29 then turns to another isomer 30 by pseudorotation and 30 is then converted into 28 through a six-membered boat-like transition state (rate-determining step). 

Melander first sought for a kinetic isotope effect in aromatic nitration he nitrated tritiobenzene, and several other compounds, in mixed acid and found the tritium to be replaced at the same rate as protium (table 6.1). Whilst the result shows only that the hydrogen is not appreciably loosened in the transition state of the rate-determining step, it is most easily understood in terms of the S 2 mechanism with... 

With the potential energies shown on a common scale we see that the transition state for formation of (CH3)3C is the highest energy point on the diagram A reaction can proceed no faster than its slowest step which is referred to as the rate determining step In the reaction of tert butyl alcohol with hydrogen chloride formation of the... 

Table 6 3 shows that the effect of substituents on the rate of addition of bromine to alkenes is substantial and consistent with a rate determining step m which electrons flow from the alkene to the halogen Alkyl groups on the carbon-carbon double bond release electrons stabilize the transition state for bromonium ion formation and increase the reaction rate... 

Hughes and Ingold interpreted second order kinetic behavior to mean that the rate determining step is bimolecular that is that both hydroxide ion and methyl bromide are involved at the transition state The symbol given to the detailed description of the mech anism that they developed is 8 2 standing for substitution nucleophilic bimolecular... 

For alkyl-substituted alkynes, there is a difference in stereochemistry between mono-and disubstituted derivatives. The former give syn addition whereas the latter react by anti addition. The disubstituted (internal) compounds are considerably ( 100 times) more reactive than the monosubstituted (terminal) ones. This result suggests that the transition state of the rate-determining step is stabilized by both of the alkyl substituents and points to a bridged intermediate. This would be consistent with the overall stereochemistry of the reaction for internal alkynes. 

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... 

This argument can be extended to consecutive reactions having a rate-determining step. - P The composition of the transition state of the rds is given by the rate equation. This composition includes reactants prior to the rds, but nothing following the rds. Thus, the rate equation may not correspond to the stoichiometric equation. We will consider several examples. In Scheme IV a fast acid-base equilibrium precedes the slow rds. 

The first step, which is rate determining, is an ionization to a carbocation (carbonium ion in earlier terminology) intermediate, which reacts with the nucleophile in the second step. Because the transition state for the rate-determining step includes R-X but not Y , the reaction is unimolecular and is labeled S l. First-order kinetics are involved, with the rate being independent of the nucleophile identity and concentration. 

The notion of concurrent SnI and Sn2 reactions has been invoked to account for kinetic observations in the presence of an added nucleophile and for heat capacities of activation,but the hypothesis is not strongly supported. Interpretations of borderline reactions in terms of one mechanism rather than two have been more widely accepted. Winstein et al. have proposed a classification of mechanisms according to the covalent participation by the solvent in the transition state of the rate-determining step. If such covalent interaction occurs, the reaction is assigned to the nucleophilic (N) class if covalent interaction is absent, the reaction is in the limiting (Lim) class. At their extremes these categories become equivalent to Sn and Sn , respectively, but the dividing line between Sn and Sn does not coincide with that between N and Lim. For example, a mass-law effect, which is evidence of an intermediate and therefore of the SnI mechanism, can be observed for some isopropyl compounds, but these appear to be in the N class in aqueous media. 

The kinetic problem is to distinguish among these mechanisms and particularly between the A1 and A2 routes. The first effective solution to this problem was provided by Zucker and Hammett. The key difference between these mechanisms is the presence (A2) or absence (Al) of a molecule of water in the transition state of the rate-determining step. 

In this solvent the reaction is catalyzed by small amounts of trimethyl-amine and especially pyridine (cf. 9). The same effect occurs in the reaction of iV -methylaniline with 2-iV -methylanilino-4,6-dichloro-s-triazine. In benzene solution, the amine hydrochloride is so insoluble that the reaction could be followed by recovery. of the salt. However, this precluded study mider Bitter and Zollinger s conditions of catalysis by strong mineral acids in the sense of Banks (acid-base pre-equilibrium in solution). Instead, a new catalytic effect was revealed when the influence of organic acids was tested. This was assumed to depend on the bifunctional character of these catalysts, which act as both a proton donor and an acceptor in the transition state. In striking agreement with this conclusion, a-pyridone is very reactive and o-nitrophenol is not. Furthermore, since neither y-pyridone nor -nitrophenol are active, the structure of the catalyst must meet the conformational requirements for a cyclic transition state. Probably a concerted process involving structure 10 in the rate-determining step... 

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