Deuterium solvent isotope effects in methanol solution. Part IV. The solvolysis of acetic anhydride

Abstract

The solvent isotope effect on the methanolysis of acetic anhydride has been measured for mixtures of MeOH and MeOD. Both the extreme rate ratio (k_H/k_D= 2·82) as well as the behaviour in isotopically mixed solvents are very similar to corresponding effects in the hydrolysis and suggest that both the reaction mechanism and the theory of the solvent isotope effect in methanolysis are closely comparable with those applicable to the hydrolysis.