Hydrogen exchange studies. XIV. Kinetics and mechanism of base-catalyzed hydrogen exchange in 1,3-dinitrobenzene in aqueous dimethylformamide and relationship with σ-complex formation
Kinetic data have been evaluated for hydrogen exchange in 1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB), occurring at the 2-position, in dimethylformamide (DMF) – D2O mixtures containing deuteroxide ion. The pseudo first order rate constants for exchange, kobs, show inverse dependence on the initial DNB concentration, which can be quantitatively related to the extent of σ-complex formation in these systems. The profile for kobs as function of medium composition exhibits a maximum at ca. 70 mol% DMF, and εapp for σ-complex formation reaches a plateau at about the same medium composition. The equilibrium constants for σ-complex formation, Ke, are used to calculate the free, or uncomplexed, deuteroxide ion concentrations, which then allow one to calculate k2, the second order rate constants for exchange. The k2 values show a uniformly increasing tendency with increased DMF content. Correlations with medium basicity are examined, and the nature of the log k2 and log Ke vs. H− plots afford insight into the origin of the medium dependence of proton exchange. The results of the present study are consistent with the σ-complex being an unreactive form of the substrate towards exchange, which occurs via uncomplexed DNB present in small concentration. The study also rules out the possibility that the colored species present in these systems is the carbanion formed on deprotonation of DNB.