The effects of high concentrations of aqueous tetramethylammonium chloride and other salts on the dissociation of phenylphosphonic acid and on the enolization of acetone

The dissociation constants of benzoic acid and phenylphosphonic acid have been determined in aqueous solutions containing tetramethylammonium chloride at concentrations up to 15 and 13 molal, respectively. The second dissociation constant of phenylphosphonic acid has also been determined in concentrated solutions of alkali halides. Whereas the organic electrolyte increases the observed pK values of the acids, the inorganic electrolyte idecrease them. The rate of enolization of acetone, catalyzed by phenylphosphonate dianion is increased by the presence of tetramethylammonium chloride, but is decreased by the presence of inorganic salts, in accordance with the changes in the apparent acidity constants of phenylphosphonate monoanion that the two different kinds of electrolyte bring about. The slope of the Brónsted plot for the inorganic salts is 0.76; that for the organic electrolyte is 0.46. Non-quaternary ammonium salts also increase the rate of the phenylphosphonate dianion catalyzed enolization of acetone, but this appears to be due to a considerable extent to the formation of reactive iminium ion intermediates.