Issue 5, 1990

General base catalysis in the methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetates

Abstract

The rates of the methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate, chloroacetate, and dichloroacetate have been measured in the presence of pyridines and imidazoles. Methyl substitution at the 2- and 6-positions in pyridine causes only a slight reduction in reactivity. A Brønsted β value of 0.48 has been evaluated for the catalysed methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl chloroacetate by pyridines. The entropy of activation for the pyridine-catalysed methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl dichloroacetate exhibits a substantial, negative value, –164 J mol–1 K–1. These results indicate that pyridine bases act as general base catalysts and not as nucleophiles in the methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetates. Nucleophilic catalysis possibly occurs in the imidazole-catalysed methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate and chloroacetate. This suggestion is based on the steric effect caused by 2-methyl substitution of imidazole. The higher reactivity of imidazole as expected from the reactivity of pyridines confirms this conclusion.

Article information

Article type
Paper

J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2, 1990, 669-673

General base catalysis in the methanolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetates

H. Neuvonen, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2, 1990, 669 DOI: 10.1039/P29900000669

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Spotlight

Advertisements