Kinetic solvent effects on proton and hydrogen atom transfers from phenols. Similarities and differences

Bimolecular rate constants for proton transfer from six phenols to the anthracene radical anion have been determined in up to eight solvents using electrochemical techniques. Effects of hydrogen bonding on measured rate constants were explored over as wide a range of phenolic hydrogen-bond donor (HBD) and solvent hydrogen-bond acceptor (HBA) activities as practical. The phenols' values ranged from 0.261 (2-MeO-phenol) to 0.728 (3,5-Cl(2)-phenol), and the solvents' values from 0.44 (MeCN) to 1.00 (HMPA), where and are Abraham's parameters describing relative HBD and HBA activities (J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2 1989, 699; 1990, 521). Rate constants for H-atom transfer (HAT) in HBA solvents, k(S), are extremely well correlated via log k(S) = log k(0) - 8.3 , where k(0) is the rate constant in a non-HBA solvent (Snelgrove et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 469). The same equation describes the general features of proton transfers (k(S) decreases as increases, slopes of plots of log k(S) against increase as increases). However, in some solvents, k(S) values deviate systematically from the least-squares log k(S) versus correlation line (e.g., in THF and MeCN, k(S) is always smaller and larger, respectively, than "expected"). These deviations are attributed to variations in the solvents' anion solvating abilities (THF and MeCN are poor and good anion solvators, respectively). Values of log k(S) for proton transfer, but not for HAT, give better correlations with Taft et al.'s (J. Org. Chem. 1983, 48, 2877) beta scale of solvent HBA activities than with . The beta scale, therefore, does not solely reflect solvents' HBA activities but also contains contributions from anion solvation.