Reaction enthalpy of nucleophilic substitution of ethyl iodide in acetonitrile and its mechanistic significance

Abstract

Enthalpies of reaction for nucleophilic substitution of ethyl iodide have systematically been determined in acetonitrile. Through the concurrent analysis of empirical correlations between the reaction enthalpies and the specific interaction enthalpies for relevant anions with those between the logarithmic rates and the specific interaction enthalpies, partial desolvation accompanying activation has been deduced to be the major contributor to activation thermodynamic parameters, while the propensity of the reacting central atom in the nucleophilic anion plays a crucial role in determining reaction thermodynamic parameters. Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations have supported these ideas. The application of the Marcus equation to the analysis of reaction characteristics in these reactions is discussed.