Kinetic and mechanistic studies on the interaction of thymidine with the hydroxopentaaquarhodium(III) ion

The interaction of thymidine, a nucleoside, with hydroxopentaaquarhodium(III), [Rh(H₂O)₅(OH)]²⁺ ion in aqueous medium is reported and the possible mode of binding is discussed. The kinetics of interaction between thymidine and [Rh(H₂O)₅OH]²⁺ has been studied spectrophotometrically as a function of [Rh(H₂O)₅OH²⁺], [thymidine], pH and temperature. The reaction has been monitored at 298 nm, the _max of the substituted complex, and where the spectral difference between the reactant and product is a maximum. The reaction rate increases with [thymidine] and reaches a limiting value at a higher ligand concentration. From the experimental findings an associative interchange mechanism for the substitution process is suggested. The activation parameters (H=47.8 ± 5.7 kJ mol^–1, S=–173 ± 17 J K^–1 mol^–1) supports our proposition. The negative G⁰ (–13.8 kJ mol^–1) for the first equilibrium step also supports the spontaneous formation of the outer sphere association complex.