CALCULATIONS OF KINETIC ISOTOPE EFFECTS FOR THE IODIDE EXCHANGE AND FOR THE SOLVOLYSIS OF METHYL IODIDE
Kinetic deuterium and carbon-13 isotope effects are calculated for the SN2 exchange reaction of CH3I with *I−(131) and for the CH3I solvolysis in water. The normal vibrational frequencies of CH3I and of the transition state [Formula: see text] (X = I or OH2) are evaluated from force constants by solving the secular equation with an IBM 7094 computer. Values for force constants of the planar CH3 moiety (with an sp2 C atom) in the transition state are obtained by comparison with suitable stable molecules. For the iodide exchange reaction, there is not much dependence of the calculated D isotope effect on the particular choice of ƒCI and ƒ12 (interaction between CI stretches) if these force constants are within reasonable limits. The bending force constantƒHCI (≠) may then be adj usted to reproduce the experimental D isotope effect.Based on the simple transition state model [Formula: see text] it is not possible to obtain agreement with the experimental D effect in the solvolysis reaction without assuming an extremely high value of ƒHCI. If must be concluded that a water molecule is probably involved in the transition state. On the basis of the model [Formula: see text] the experimental D effect may be reproduced with a suitable choice of ƒHCI and ƒHCO. It is shown that, under favorable circumstances, experimental temperature dependence data may be applied for a distinction between different sets of, ƒCH, ƒHCH, and ƒHCI (or ƒHCO) which reproduce the experimental isotope effect at one temperature.