Isotope effects in nucleophilic substitution reactions. IX. The effect of bond strength on substituent effects on the structure of SN2 transition states

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 2084-2094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Charles Westaway

The effects of substituents on the structure of SN2 transition states suggested by kinetic isotope effects and Hammett ρ values are often different and, moreover, often do not agree with substituent effects predicted by current theories whether the change in substituent is made in the nucleophile, in the leaving group, or at the α-carbon. The importance of the strength of the reacting bonds in determining the effects of substituents on transition-state structure is investigated. A bond strength hypothesis that suggests there will be a significant change in the weaker reacting bond but little or no change in the stronger reacting bond in an SN2 transition state when a substituent in the nucleophile, the substrate, or the leaving group is altered in an SN2 reaction, predicts a high percentage of the experimental results.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 1354-1367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Charles Westaway ◽  
Syed Fasahat Ali

The nucleophilic substitution reactions of a series of 4-substituted phenylbenzyldimethyl-ammonium ions with thiophenoxide ions at 0 °C in N,N-dimethylformamide have been used to demonstrate how a change in the leaving group alters the structure of the SN2 transition state. Heavy atom (nitrogen) kinetic isotope effects, secondary α-deuterium kinetic isotope effects and Hammett ρ values provide qualitative descriptions of both the nucleophile–α-carbon and α-carbon–leaving group bonds in the transition states of these reactions. The results indicate that changing to a better leaving group causes the bond between the α-carbon and the nucleophile to be much more fully formed while the bond to the leaving group is essentially unchanged. The results are discussed in the light of current theories of substituent effects on SN2 reactions and a possible explanation for the surprising results (i) that the greatest effect is in the bond more remote from the point of structural change and (ii) that more nucleophilic assistance is required to displace a better leaving group is given.



1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhu-Gen Lai ◽  
Kenneth Charles Westaway

The secondary α-deuterium kinetic isotope effects and substituent effect found in the SN2 reactions between a series of para-substituted sodium thiophenoxides and benzyldimethylphenylammonium ion are significantly larger when the reacting nucleophile is a free ion than when it is a solvent-separated ion pair complex. Tighter transition states are found when a poorer nucleophile is used in both the free ion and ion pair reactions. Also, the transition states for all but one substituent are tighter for the reactions with the solvent-separated ion pair complex than with the free ion. Hammett ρ values found by changing the substituent on the nucleophile do not appear to be useful for determining the length of the sulphur–α-carbon bond in the ion pair and free ion transition states. Keywords: Isotope effects, ion pairing, nucleophilic substitution, SN2 reactions, transition states.



2007 ◽  
Vol 111 (33) ◽  
pp. 8110-8120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Westaway ◽  
Yao-ren Fang ◽  
Susanna MacMillar ◽  
Olle Matsson ◽  
Raymond A. Poirier ◽  
...  


1978 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 1496-1502
Author(s):  
Fouad M. Fouad ◽  
Patrick G. Farrell

AbstractRates of HCN elimination from polycyanides N,N-dimethyl-4-(1,2,2-tricyanoethyl)-aniline (1), 9-cyano-9-dicyanomethyl fluorene (2), 1,1-diphenyl-1,2,2-tricyanoethane (3), and 2-phenyl-1,1,2-tricyanopropane (4) have been studied in methanol. Elimination from 1 occurs via (E 1 c B)R, mechanism. On the other hand olefin formation from 2-4 has been shown to occur via (E 1)anion pathway. Heavy atom kinetic isotope effects indicated that product stability is not the sole factor controlling the transition state geometries. Values of k12/k14 were found to be in the order 2 > 3 > 4 > 1 which implied transition states with more carbanion-like structure in the opposite direction. Solvent isotope effects and enthalpies of activation were also determined and discussed in terms of transition states geometries.



1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 749-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Smith ◽  
A. N. Bourns

Kinetic isotope effects have been determined for the E2 reaction of some 2-arylethyltrimethyl-ammonium ions with ethoxide in ethanol at 40°. The nitrogen effect, (k14/k15 − 1)100, decreased with increasing electron-withdrawing ability of the para substituent; i.e. 1.37, 1.33, 1.14, and 0.88 for p-OCH3, p-H, p-Cl, and p-CF3, respectively. Furthermore, the primary hydrogen–deuterium isotope effects increased for the same substituents, respectively; i.e. kH/kD = 2.64, 3.23, 3.48, and 4.16. A large positive ρ value of 3.66 was found as well as a small secondary α-deuterium effect of 1.02 for p-H. In addition, the nitrogen isotope effect decreased with increasing strength of the abstracting base for the reaction of ethyltrimethylammonium ion; i.e. 1.86 and 1.41 at 60° for reaction with EtO−–EtOH and t-BuO−–t-BuOH, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of recent theoretical treatments of the effect of base, substituents, and nature of the leaving group on the nature of the transition state for an E2 process. The conclusion is reached that any structural change which causes one bond (C—H) to be weakened more at the transition state will have a corresponding effect on the other bond [Formula: see text]



1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (19) ◽  
pp. 2500-2520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Charles Westaway ◽  
Zbigniew Waszczylo

Kinetic studies, secondary α-deuterium kinetic isotope effects, primary chlorine kinetic isotope effects (1), Hammett ρ values determined by changing the substituent in the nucleophile, and activation parameters have been used to determine the detailed (relative) structures of the transition states for the SN2 reactions between para-substituted benzyl chlorides and thiophenoxide ion. A rationale for the U-shaped Hammett ρ plots observed when para-substituted benzyl compounds react with negatively charged nucleophiles is also presented.



1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 903-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Bron

The results of calculations indicate that a previously proposed model for the transition state in "borderline" substitution reactions can be generalized and, as a result, the observed differences in the carbon-13 and deuterium isotope effects of SN1, SN2, and "borderline" reactions rationalized. Although the conclusions may apply more generally, the standard reaction investigated is the solvolysis of benzyl bromide. The importance of resonance interaction with the phenyl ring, the significance of the product- or reactant-like character of the transition state, and the influence of the magnitude of force constants in determining isotope effects are examined. The temperature dependence of kinetic isotope effects in solvolysis is also investigated.



1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1146-1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren Edward Buddenbaum ◽  
Vernon Jack Shiner Jr.

Reaction coordinate motions and 13C kinetic isotope effects at 25 °C have been calculated for the SN2 reactions of methyl iodide with iodide, cyanide, and chloride ions and for the SN2 reaction of benzyl bromide with hydroxide ion using transition state models characterized by single interaction force constant, F12, between the bond being formed and the bond being broken. The isotope effect calculations show that the dependence of calculated 13C isotope effects on transition state symmetry found by Willi and Sims etal. holds true for reaction barriers corresponding to small values of νL, while the symmetry dependence observed by Bron holds true for barriers corresponding to large values of νL.νL was also found to have a strong influence on the reaction coordinate motions of the transition states. In particular, for the methyl iodide reactions an increase in νL increases the distortion of the methyl group in the direction expected for a classical SN2 reaction. Finally, reaction coordinate motions were used to show that the model proposed by Bron for the borderline region between SN1 and SN2 reaction mechanisms predicts an increase in the 13C kinetic isotope effect with decreasing total bond order and not the decrease suggested by Bron.



1989 ◽  
Vol 260 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
B F L Li ◽  
D Holdup ◽  
C A J Morton ◽  
M L Sinnott

1. The first chemical step in the hydrolysis of galactosylpyridinium ions by the evolvant ebg enzyme is less sensitive to leaving-group acidity than in the case of the wild-type ebg enzyme, implying less glycone-aglycone-bond fission at the transition state. 2. The first chemical step in the hydrolysis of aryl galactosides by ebg enzyme is probably less sensitive to leaving-group acidity than in the case of ebg enzyme, possibly as a consequence of resulting in more effective proton donation to the leaving aglycone. 3. alpha-Deuterium kinetic isotope effects of 1.1(0) and beta-deuterium kinetic isotope effects of 1.0(0) were measured for the hydrolysis of galactosyl-enzyme intermediates derived from ebg and ebg enzymes: these effects are not compatible with reaction of the sugar ring through a 4C1-like conformation, or with an ionic glycosyl-enzyme intermediate. 4. The variation with pH of steady-state kinetic parameters for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl galactoside by ebg and ebg enzymes and of 3-methylphenyl beta-galactoside, 3,4-dinitrophenyl beta-galactoside and beta-galactosyl-3-bromopyridinium ion by ebg enzyme was measured. The steep, non-classical, fall in activity against p-nitrophenyl galactoside at low pH observed with ebg and ebg enzymes is not observed with ebg enzymes.



1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 2528-2530 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.V. Pham ◽  
K.C. Westaway

The nitrogen and secondary α-hydrogen–deuterium kinetic isotope effects found for the SN2 reaction between thiophenoxide ion and benzyldimethylphenylammonium ion at different ionic strengths in DMF at 0 °C indicate that the structure of the transition state changes markedly with the ionic strength of the reaction mixture. In fact, a more reactant-like, more ionic, transition state is found at the higher ionic strength. This presumably occurs because a more ionic transition state is more stable in the more ionic solvent. Key words: transition state, ionic strength, secondary α deuterium kinetic isotope effects, nitrogen isotope effects, SN2.



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