Kinetics and mechanism for the formation of o‐carboxy(N‐methyl)‐benzohydroxamic acid in the cleavage of ethyl N‐[o‐(N‐methyl‐N‐hydroxycarbamoyl)‐benzoyl]carbamate in N‐methylhydroxylamine,acetate, and phosphate buffers

The rate of cleavage of ethyl N‐o‐(N‐methyl‐N‐hydroxycarbamoyl)benzoyl]‐ carbamate (ENMBC) in the buffer solutions containing N‐methylhydroxylamine, acetate + N‐methylhydroxylamine, and phosphate + N‐methylhydroxylamine followed an irreversible consecutive reaction path: ENMBC where A and B represent N‐hydroxyl group cyclized product of ENMBC and o‐(N‐methyl‐N‐hydroxycarbamoyl)benzoic acid, respectively. Both rate constants k_{1 obs} and k_{2 obs} showed the presence of buffer catalysis, but buffer catalysis turned out to be weak in the presence N‐methylhydroxylamine buffer, while it was strong in the presence of acetate and phosphate ones. Buffer‐independent rate constants k₁₀ and k₂₀ increased linearly with the increase in a_OH with definite intercepts. The values of molar absorption coefficient of A , obtained under varying total buffer concentrations at a constant pH, showed the presence of a fast equilibrium: A + CH₃NHOH ? C , where C represents N‐o‐(N‐methyl‐N‐hydroxycarbamoyl)methyl]benzohydroxamic acid. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 427–437, 2003