Detritiation kinetics of acetophenones in highly acidic media

Abstract

The detritiation kinetics and equilibrium protonation characteristics of a series of ring substituted acetophenones have been studied at 50 °C in highly acidic media comprising aqueous sulphuric acid. The rates of detritiation of the acetophenones pass through a maximum in the region of wt. % H₂SO₄ at which they are half-protonated. Of the various mechanistic criteria available the Bunnett–Olsen ϕ value treatment proves the only reliable one. This treatment also holds well for the determined kinetic data on the detritiation of acetophenone in concentrated hydrochloric acid.