Reactivity of N-alkyl derivatives of hydroxylamine in decomposition of 4-nitrophenyl diethylphosphonate in water and in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles

Neutral forms of hydroxylamine, N-methylhydroxylamine, and N,N-dimethylhydroxylamine are typical α-nucleophiles in water. In comparison with aryl anions of similar basicity their rate of reaction in the decomposition of 4-nitrophenyl diethylphosphonate is increased by about 10² times. Decomposition of the substrate is accelerated in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles (about 4 to 30 fold). Hydroxylamine and its N-alkyl derivatives are the most effective low basicity nucleophiles. The sole factor responsible for the micellar effects is the concentration of the reagent in the surfactant micelles. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 231–236, July–August, 2007.