Kinetic characteristics of chloride-assisted oxidative dealkylation of alkylcobalamins

The recent experiments on the chloride-assisted dealkylation of alkylcobalamins by a variety of oxidants (IrCl, AuCl, Fe(H₂O)₅Cl²⁺, and PtCl), which are scattered in several previous publications, and their general kinetic characteristics are summarized. The kinetic studies are also extended to include the dealkylations of (methylaquo)?3,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide and protonated base-off ethylcobalamin by IrCl (1.0M Cl^?) and by Fe(III) ions at 0.1M Cl^?, and the demethylation of (methylaquo)?3,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide by AuCl (1.0M Cl^?). This extension is in an effort to substantiate the general mechanism which has been previously proposed for these oxidative dealkylations. The general kinetic characteristics are described in terms of a preassociation of the reactants, followed by a rate-determining electron-transfer process to yield the R-B radical, which then undergoes further reactions to produce the products observed. The overall reactions are discussed within the framework of chlorine-bridging inner sphere electron-transfer reactions.