Rates and mechanisms of the intermolecular cation-exchange reactions of sodium tetraphenylboron with sodium–nitrobenzene and with sodium–p-nitrobenzonitrile

The rates of the exchange of sodium ions between sodium tetraphenylborate and sodium–nitrobenzene or sodium–p-nitrobenzonitrile were measured from analysis of the line broadening effect on the ESR spectra off the paramagnetic ion pairs. The rate is significantly lower for the substituted nitro compound, and it is suggested that this reflects a difference in mechanism for the two systems.