The rates of reduction of a series of 1-(Z-benzyl)nicotinonitrile cations by a series of 1-(X-benzyl)-1,4-dihydronicotinamides have been studied at 25 °C in 20% CH3CN – 80% H2O (pH 7.0 (5 mM phosphate), ionic strength 1.0 (KCl)). Spectral studies indicate the formation of 1,4-dihydronicotinonitrile products, without the formation of the isomeric 1,2-dihydro- or 1,6-dihydro-nicotinamide intermediates. Second-order rate constants (k2) for these reductions are closely correlated with the Hammett σ constants for X and Z. Thus, for X = H, log k2 = 0.63σz − 1.05, while for Z = 4-CN, log k2 = −0.64σx − 0.65. The close correspondence between these ρx and ρz values indicates that charge neutralization on the nicotinonitrile cation exactly balances charge generation on the nicotinamide cation product in the rate-determining transition state. Thus the migrating hydrogen species is electrically neutral in the rate-determining transition state, which contrasts with the hydridic transition states previously reported in the reduction of isoquinolinium cations by 1,4-dihydronicotinamides. When 1-benzyl-4,4-dideuterio-1,4-dihydronicotinamide is used as the reductant, primary kinetic isotope effects of 3.0 and 2.7 are observed for the reduction of the 1-methylnicotinonitrile and 1-(4-cyanobenzyl)-nicotinonitrile cations, respectively. These data are evaluated in terms of the various mechanistic possibilities for hydride transfer.
