Inverse phase transfer catalysis: kinetics of the pyridine-1-oxide-catalyzed two-phase reactions of methyl-, methoxy-, iodo-, and nitro-benzoyl chlorides and benzoate ions

The substitution reactions of XC₆H₄COCl X=2-, 3-, or 4-CH₃; 2-, 3-, or 4-CH₃O; 2-, or 4-I; or 2-, 3-, or 4-NO₂] and YC₆H₄COONa Y=2-, 3-, or 4-CH₃; 2-, 3-, or 4-CH₃O; 2-I; 4-NO₂; or H] in a two-phase H₂O/CH₂Cl₂ medium using pyridine-1-oxide (PNO) as an inverse phase transfer catalyst were investigated. In general, the kinetics of the reaction follows a pseudo-first-order rate law, with the observed rate constant being a linear function of the concentration of PNO in the water phase. In contrast to other analogous reactions, the hydrolysis reaction of 2-, 3-, or 4-NO₂C₆H₄COCl in H₂O/CH₂Cl₂ medium is catalyzed considerably by PNO and reaches an equilibrium. In the PNO-catalyzed reaction of XC₆H₄COCl and XC₆H₄COONa in H₂O/CH₂Cl₂ medium, the order of reactivities of XC₆H₄COCl toward reaction with PNO in CH₂Cl₂ is 2-IC₆H₄COCl>4-IC₆H₄COCl>(C₆H₅COCl,3-CH₃OC₆H₄COCl)>3-CH₃C₆H₄COCl>(2-CH₃C₆H₄COCl,4-CH₃C₆H₄COCl)>4-CH₃OC₆H₄COCl>2-CH₃OC₆H₄COCl. Combined with the results of other analogous reactions, good Hammett correlations with positive reaction constant were obtained for the meta- and para-substituents, which supports that the XC₆H₄COCl–PNO reaction in CH₂Cl₂ is a nucleophilic substitution reaction.