Competing elimination and substitution reactions of simple acyclic disulfides

MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ and B3LYP/cc-pVDZ calculations of the reactions of CH3SSR (R = H or CH3) with fluoride, hydroxide or allyl anion in the gas-phase were performed to determine the mechanism for both elimination and substitution reactions. The elimination reactions were shown to follow the E2 mechanism. The substitution reactions with hydroxide and fluoride proceed by the addition-elimination mechanism, but those with allyl anion proceed by the SN2 mechanism. The elimination reactions with F- and HO- are preferred to the substitution reactions, while allyl anion prefers the substitution route.