Kinetic studies of the N-alkylation of secondary amines with 1,2-dichloroethane

The reactions of 1,2-dichloroethane with 2-(ethylamino)ethanol or diethylamine have been investigated in several solvents from 51 to 80°C. A reaction mechanism has been proposed where 1,2-dichloroethane reacts with the secondary amines in both bimolecular substitution (SN 2) and elimination (E2) reactions; the substitution product is rapidly converted in an aziridinium ion and undergoes a consecutive reaction with the starting amine to give a tetrasubstituted ethylenediamine. The rate constants as well as the activation energies of these reactions have been determined. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.