Some studies of the alcoholysis of p-nitro- and p-chloro-N-sulphinylaniline in ethanol using copper(II) chloride as catalyst

Abstract

Kinetic studies of the title N-sulphinylanilines in ethanolic solution showed that a first-order rate law with respect to the N-sulphinylamine was obeyed. The observed rate constant (K_obs) was directly proportional to the catalyst concentration. A linear relationship was found when log (K_obs/[CuCl₂]) was plotted against the Hammett σ value of the para-substituent for the compounds. The increase in K_c as the electron-withdrawing capacity of the ring substituent increases implies that an [RNSO:CuCl₂] complex is not involved in the reaction mechanism. Contrary to PhN:S:O, an uncatalysed reaction with the solvent was observed for the substituted N-sulphinylanilines.