Substituent effects upon cation–pseudobase equilibration for isoquinolinium and phthalazinium cations
pKR+ values have been measured for cation–pseudobase equilibration by 4-X-2-methylisoquinolinium cations (1) (X = Br, CONH2, COC6H5, CN, NO2) at 25 °C, ionic strength 0.1. These pKR+ values are well correlated by Hammett equations using either σ or σ−para substituent constants. The best correlation gives: pKR+ = −8.8 (± 0.3) σp− + 16.5 (± 0.2) (r = 0.998). The value pKR+ = 16.29 measured by Cook et al. (Tetrahedron, 32, 1773 (1976)) for the 2-methylisoquinolinium cation in dimethyl sulfoxide – water solutions is in reasonable agreement with this correlation equation. For the 2-methyl-5-nitrophthalazinium cation, pKR+ = 7.87, and pKRO− = 12.10 for alkoxide ion formation by the pseudobase of this cation.The pH dependence of the pseudo first-order rate constants (kobs) for cation–pseudobase equilibration has been measured for 1:X = CONH2, COC6H5, CN and for the 2-methylphthalazinium cation (3) and its 5-NO2 derivative (4). For each of these cations, [Formula: see text] and kd = k1[H+] + k2 and the parameters [Formula: see text] have been evaluated. For 1:X = CONH2 and CN and 3, kOH is consistent with a correlation line between log kOH and pKR+ established for other isoquinolinium cations (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 99, 1189 (1977)). For 1:X = COC6H5, kOH is seven-fold smaller, and for 4, kOH is five-fold greater than predicted by this correlation line.