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Title: Evidence for a rate-determining solvation change in methyl transfer to water. Solvent dependence of H/sub 2/O/D/sub 2/O kinetic isotope effects

Journal Article · · J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00271a026· OSTI ID:5532553

When H/sub 2/O is a dilute (< 1 M) solute in CH/sub 3/CN or sulfolane, the rate of methyl transfer from CH/sub 3/X to H/sub 2/O is first order both in (CH/sub 3/X) and in (H/sub 2/O), but H/sub 2/O and D/sub 2/O react at the same rate (k/sub H//k/sub D/ = 1.00 +- 0.01 for X/sup -/ = OClO/sub 3//sup -/ or thiophene). The analogous methyl transfers in CH/sub 3/CN at 25/sup 0/C from the same X/sup -/'s to CH/sub 3/OH have k/sub H//k/sub D/ = 1.07 and 1.05 and to (CH/sub 3/)/sub 3/COH have 1.12 and 1.07. In CH/sub 3/CN/H/sub 2/O (or ROH) solvent mixtures, as the H/sub 2/O (or ROH) content is increased to mole fractions > 0.5, k/sub H//k/sub D/ for five of these six reactions increases sharply to the values observed in near H/sub 2/O or ROH: at 25/sup 0/C for X/sup -/ = OClO/sub 3//sup -/ and thiophene, respectively, k/sub H//k/sub D/ = 1.20 and 1.13 for H/sub 2/O, 1.22 and 1.15 for CH/sub 3/OH, and 1.08 and 1.12 for (CH/sub 3/)/sub 3/COH. Comparison of these k/sub H//k/sub D/ values to known values of deuterium fractionation factors for CH/sub 3/OH, H/sub 3/O/sup +/, and CH/sub 3/OH/sub 2//sup +/ suggests the following: (a) for CH/sub 3/X + H/sub 2/O, there is little or no positive charge (delta = 0.00 +- 0.04) on the nucleophilic oxygen in the transition state. (b) For CH/sub 3/X + CH/sub 3/OH or (CH/sub 3/)/sub 3/COH, that charge is larger than for H/sub 2/O. (c) The activation process in these methyl transfers (except for CH/sub 3/OClO/sub 3/ + (CH/sub 3/)/sub 3/COH) is predominantly a change in solvation of a preassociated H/sub 2/O (or ROH), CH/sub 3/X pair and, in the transition state, the solvation is more product-like than is the internal charge distribution.

Research Organization:
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO
OSTI ID:
5532553
Journal Information:
J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 108:11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English