Non-steady-state kinetic study of the SN2 reaction between p-nitrophenoxide ion and methyl iodide in aprotic solvents containing water. Evidence for a 2-step mechanism

Non-steady-state kinetic studies reveal that the SN2 reaction between p-nitrophenoxide ion and methyl iodide in acetonitrile containing water follows a 2-step mechanism involving the formation of a kinetically significant intermediate.     

Non-steady-state kinetic study of the SN2 reaction between p-nitrophenoxide ion and methyl iodide in acetonitrile

Analysis of non-steady-state kinetic data for the title reaction with tetrabutylammonium counter ions in acetonitrile in the presence and absence of sodium ions rules out the ion-pair dissociation mechanism. The reinterpretation of our data by Humeres and Bentley (Org. Biomol. Chem., 2003, 1, 1969-1971) was based on a series of assumptions that are shown to be invalid by kinetic experiments.     

A kinetic investigation of reaction of [Os(N)(CH2SiMe3)4][NBun4] with methyl iodide

A high oxidation state alkylnitridoosmium complex, [Os(N)(CH₂SiMe₃)₄][NBuⁿ₄] acts as a nucleophile in reactions with alkyl halides. Alkylimido complexes, Os(NR)(CH₂SiMe₃)₄, are produced. The reaction between [Os(N)(CH₂SiMe₃)₄]⁻ [NBuⁿ₄] and MeI is second order with k₂= 9.5 x 10⁻⁵ sec^t̄1 M⁻¹ at 23°C in CD₂Cl₂ under pseudo first order conditions. The entropy of activation, ΔS^≠, was found to be −10.6 ± 0.5 cal M⁻¹ K⁻¹ and the enthalpy of activation, ΔH^≠, was found to be 19.6 ± 0.2 kcal M⁻¹. The reaction proceeds faster in polar, non-coordinating solvents than in either non-polar solvents or in solvents which can coordinate to the osmium center.     

Interpretation of the gas-phase solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects in the S(N)2 reaction mechanism: Comparison of theoretical and experimental results in the reaction of microsolvated fluoride ions with methyl halides

We carried out a comprehensive ab initio calculation and transition-state theory analysis of the solvent and secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects in the SN2 reactions of microsolvated fluoride ions with methyl halides. Water, methanol, and hydrogen fluoride were used as solvents, and the results are compared with recent experiments. Kinetic isotope effects were dissected into contributions from translations, rotations, and different vibration modes, and the validity of such analysis is also discussed. Excellent agreement was found for some reactions, whereas the agreement was poor for other reactions. We showed that the deviation between theory and experiments is related to the reaction kinetics; a faster reaction produced a kinetic isotope effect that was systematically larger (less inverse) than the calculated value. In addition, we also found that the magnitude of the deviation is proportional to the reaction efficiency. We rationalize the disagreement as a failure of the transition-state theory to model barrierless reactions, and we propose a very simple scheme to interpret these findings and predict the deviation between experimental and theoretical values in those reactions.     

Kinetics and mechanism of reaction between mercuric bromide and silver iodide in solid state

Kinetics and mechanism of the reaction between mercuric bromide and silver iodide were studied in the solid state. It has been established that HgBr₂ reacts via the gaseous state and that the reaction proceeds through counter diffusion of Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺. Thermal and conductivity measurements indicate that the reaction is multistep. X-ray and chemical analyses show that HgBr₂ and AgI mixed in different molar ratios give rise to different products. The data for the lateral diffusion fitted the equation X_iⁿ = kt, where X_i is the thickness of the product layer at time t, and n and k are constants. Evidence for the formation of solid solutions between reactant and product phases is reported.     

On the reaction between iodide and mercury(II)

A survey on the iodide-mercury(II) reaction and its analytical uses is given. Titrations of iodide with mercury(II) in various acidities, using nitrate, acetate, and chloride as titrants and silver or platinum amalgam as the indicator electrode, showed that mercury(II) nitrate is the best titrant giving 0.46 V/0.1 ml potential break in comparison with 0.14 V/0.1 ml of mercury(II) chloride and 0.35V/0.1 ml of mercury(II) acetate, all titrants being 0.05 M in mercury(II).     

Promoting effect of iodide on the hexacyanomanganate(IV)-arsenic(III) redox reaction, for kinetic determination of iodide

The rate of the reaction between hexacyanomanganate(IV) and arsenic(III) in an acid medium is strongly accelerated by iodide. The reaction kinetics indicates that the iodide activity decreases throughout the reaction, probably because manganese(IV) oxidizes iodide to iodate (an inactive form). This behaviour is defined as promotion, rather than catalysis, and this rate-modifying effect has been used to determine iodide by a kinetic method. A linear calibration plot was obtained by a two-point fixed-time procedure. A detection limit of 0.2 ng/ml, a quantification limit of 0.6 ng/ml and relative standard deviations of 5.5 and 13% for the 6.7 and 0.6 ng/ml levels respectively have been found. Positive kinetic interferences from osmium(VIII) and iodate have been observed, and copper(II), silver(I) and mercury(II) inhibit the iodide activity by precipitaton. The method has been applied to determination of iodide in sodium arsenite (reagent grade) and table salt. The method has been validated by recovery experiments.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the mercury(II)-assisted hydrolysis of methyl iodide

The kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of aqueous Hg(II) with methyl iodide have been investigated. The overall reaction is best described as Hg(II)-assisted hydrolysis, resulting in quantitative formation of methanol and, in the presence of excess methyl iodide, ultimately, HgI2 via the intermediate HgI+. The kinetics are biexponential when methyl iodide is in excess. At 25 degrees C, the acceleration provided by Hg2+ is 7.5 times greater than that caused by HgI+, while assistance of hydrolysis was not observed for HgI2. Thus, the reactions are not catalytic in Hg(II). The kinetics are consistent with an SN2-M+ mechanism involving electrophilic attack at iodide. As expected, methylation of mercury is not a reaction pathway; traces of methylmercury(II) are artifacts of the extraction/preconcentration procedure used for methylmercury analysis.     

The effect of solvent on the structure of the transition state for the S(N)2 reaction between cyanide ion and ethyl chloride in DMSO and THF probed with six different kinetic isotope effects

The secondary alpha- and beta-deuterium, the alpha-carbon, the nucleophile carbon, the nucleophile nitrogen, and the chlorine leaving group kinetic isotope effects for the S(N)2 reaction between cyanide ion and ethyl chloride were determined in the very slightly polar solvent THF at 30 degrees C. A comparison of these KIEs with those reported earlier for the same reaction in the polar solvent DMSO shows that the transition state in THF is only slightly tighter with very slightly shorter NC-C(alpha) and C(alpha)-Cl bonds. This minor change in transition state structure does not account for the different transition structures that were earlier suggested by interpreting the experimental KIEs and the gas-phase calculations, respectively. It therefore seems unlikely that the different transition states suggested by the two methods are due to the lack of appropriate solvent modeling in the theoretical calculations. Previously it was predicted that the transition state of S(N)2 reactions where the nucleophile and the leaving group have the same charge would be unaffected by a change in solvent. The experimental KIEs support this view.     

Solid state decompositions: the interpretation of kinetic and microscopic data and the formulation of a reaction mechanism

This article discusses current theoretical concepts that relate to the role of interfaces in reactions involving solids. It is emphasized that the isothermal kinetic characteristics of such reactions are often determined by the progressive changes of interface geometry as reaction advances, and that obedience to a particular rate equation does not necessarily provide information concerning the chemistry of the processes involved. Evidence concerning reactant and product textures and the conditions prevailing at an interface can, in suitable systems, be deduced from microscopic examination of the reactant-product contact zone. Observations of this type have been used to develop a classification scheme for nucleus functions in various reactions. The value of this general approach, the separate and complementary consideration of reaction geometry and interface chemistry in formulating reaction mechanisms, is discussed with reference to the following rate processes: alum dehydrations, the reaction KBr+Cl₂ → KCl+BrCl, the decompositions of (NH₄)₂Cr₂O₇, copper malonate, and other metal carboxylates. It is concluded that modern methods of microscopic examination afford a direct and powerful technique for the characterization of the interfacial chemical changes that occur during reactions of solids.     

Catalytic activation of the leaving group in the S(N)2 reaction

A novel catalytic activation of the leaving group in the S(N)2 reaction is achieved as an extension of our mercuric triflate-catalyzed reactions. Derivatives of anilinoethyl 4-pentynoate reacted smoothly with catalytic amounts of Hg(OTf)(2) to give indoline derivatives in excellent yield with efficient catalytic turnovers under very mild conditions. The reaction of optically pure secondary alcohol derivatives resulted in inversion of stereochemistry, which is a definitive feature of the S(N)2 reaction. The procedure is applicable for benzoazepine synthesis.     

Ensemble-averaged QM/MM kinetic isotope effects for the S(N)2 reaction of cyanide anions with chloroethane in DMSO solution

The existence of solvent fluctuations leads to populations of reactant-state (RS) and transition-state (TS) configurations and implies that property calculations must include appropriate averaging over distributions of values for individual configurations. Average kinetic isotope effects 〈KIE〉 for NC(-) + EtCl → NCEt + Cl(-) in DMSO solution at 30?°C are best obtained as the ratio 〈f(RS)〉/〈f(TS)〉 of isotopic partition function ratios separately averaged over all RS and TS configurations. In this way the hybrid AM1/OPLS-AA potential yields 〈KIE〉 values for all six isotopic substitutions (2° α-(2)H(2), 2° β-(2)H(3), α-(11)C/(14)C, leaving group (37)Cl, and nucleophile (13)C and (15)N) for this reaction in the correct direction as measured experimentally. These thermally-averaged calculated KIEs may be compared meaningfully with experiment, and only one of them differs in magnitude from the experimental value by more than one standard deviation from the mean. This success contrasts with previous KIE calculations based upon traditional methods without averaging. The isotopic partition function ratios are best evaluated using all (internal) vibrational and (external) librational frequencies obtained from Hessians determined for subsets of atoms, relaxed to local minima or saddle points, within frozen solvent environments of structures sampled along molecular dynamics trajectories for RS and TS. The current method may perfectly well be implemented with other QM or QM/MM methods, and thus provides a useful tool for investigating KIEs in relation to studies of chemical reaction mechanisms in solution or catalyzed by enzymes.     

An S(N)2-like transition state for alkene episulfidation by dinitrogen sulfide

Episulfidation of alkenes by dinitrogen sulfide, generated from thermolysis of 5-aryloxy-1,2,3,4-thiatriazoles, was found to be an S(N)2-like reaction involving simultaneous sulfur addition and dinitrogen extrusion. The preference for the one-step S(N)2 mechanism instead of the two-step (2+3) dipolar cycloaddition and denitrogenation is attributed to the higher geometry distortion penalty in the (2+3) transition state than that in the S(N)2-like transition state.     

Resolution of the non-steady-state kinetics of the two-step mechanism for the Diels-Alder reaction between anthracene and tetracyanoethylene in acetonitrile

The Diels-Alder reaction between anthracene and tetracyanoethylene in acetonitrile does not reach a steady-state during the first half-life. The reaction follows the reversible consecutive second-order mechanism accompanied by the formation of a kinetically significant intermediate. The experimental observations consistent with this mechanism include extent of reaction-time profiles which deviate markedly from those expected for the irreversible second-order mechanism and initial pseudo first-order rate constants which differ significantly from those measured at longer times. It is concluded that the reaction intermediate giving rise to these deviations cannot be the charge-transfer (CT) complex, which is formed during the time of mixing, but rather a more intimate complex with a geometry favorable to the formation of the Diels-Alder adduct. The kinetics of the reaction were resolved into the microscopic rate constants for the individual steps. The rate constants, as shown in equation 1, at 293 K were observed to be 5.46 M(-)(1) s(-)(1) (k(f)), 14.8 s(-)(1) (k(b)), and 12.4 s(-)(1) (k(p)). Concentration profiles calculated under all conditions show that intermediate concentrations increase to maximum values early in the reaction and then continually decay during the first half-life. It is concluded that the charge-transfer complex may be an intermediate preceding the formation of the reactant complex, but due to its rapid formation and dissociation it is not detected by the kinetic measurements.     

Electronic structure of 10-alkyl(aryl)phenoxarsines and the mechanism of their reactions with methyl iodide

The structure of 10-alkyl(aryl)phenoxarsines has been investigated by the semiempirical quantum-chemical PM3 method. The As^III atom has a positive charge and simultaneously exhibits nucleophilic properties in the reaction with methyl, iodide. The reactions of 10-alkyl(aryl)phenoxarsines with methyl iodide are probably controlled by charge distribution. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2368–2371, November, 1998.     

On the kinetics of the reaction of Zn(1S) with N2O

The rate constant for the reaction of ground state zinc atoms with nitrous oxide at 303 K was determined to be (1.8 ± 0.5)×10⁻¹⁵ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pressures of ≈ 10 Torr. In contrast to a previous experiment, no chemiluminescent products were observed. The result, discussed in terms of an ionic intermediate mechanism and recent ZnO electronic structure calculations, is shown to be consistent with the surface crossing model even though the rate constant is orders of magnitude less than those typically used to invoke the model.     

Competing S(N)2 and E2 reaction pathways for hexachlorocyclohexane degradation in the gas phase, solution and enzymes

Quantum chemistry calculations have been used alongside experimental kinetic analysis to investigate the competition between S(N)2 and E2 mechanisms for the dechlorination of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, revealing that enzyme specificity reflects the intrinsic reactivity of the various isomers.     

Nucleophilic substitution at phosphorus (S(N)2@P): disappearance and reappearance of reaction barriers

Pentacoordinate phosphorus species play a key role in organic and biological processes. Yet, their nature is still not fully understood, in particular, whether they are stable, intermediate transition complexes (TC) or labile transition states (TS). Through systematic, theoretical analyses of elementary S(N)2@C, S(N)2@Si, and S(N)2@P reactions, we show how increasing the coordination number of the central atom as well as the substituents' steric demand shifts the S(N)2@P mechanism stepwise from a single-well potential (with a stable central TC) that is common for substitution at third-period atoms, via a triple-well potential (featuring a pre- and post-TS before and after the central TC), back to the double-well potential (in which pre- and postbarrier merge into one central TS) that is well-known for substitution reactions at carbon. Our results highlight the steric nature of the S(N)2 barrier, but they also show how electronic effects modulate the barrier height.