Kinetics of the detritiation of carbon acids containing more than one exchangeable site

Abstract

A procedure has been established for measuring rate constant ratios for base-catalysed detritiations in compounds containing two exchangeable sites. A computer method for kinetic data treatment was calibrated by using mixtures of two acetyl-labelled acetophenones of known specific rates of detritiation. This was then applied to compounds containing two exchangeable sites as represented by an unsymmetrical ketone (1), a camphor (2), and a steroid (3). The method could be of value in providing direct information on transition state structure in proton transfer processes from sites differing in structural and stereoelectronic environments.