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An Examination of the Relationship Between Transition State Geometry in Hydron Transfer Reactions and the Temperature Dependence of the Primary Kinetic Isotope Effect
Author(s) -
Mclennan Duncan J.,
Gill Peter M.W.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
israel journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.908
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1869-5868
pISSN - 0021-2148
DOI - 10.1002/ijch.198500123
Subject(s) - kinetic isotope effect , chemistry , deuterium , kinetic energy , transition state , isotope , mndo , thermodynamics , atomic physics , molecule , organic chemistry , nuclear physics , physics , quantum mechanics , catalysis
Several recent papers by Kwart feature hydron transfer reactions in which the primary kinetic isotope effect is temperature independent over wide temperature ranges. It has been asserted (without theoretical justification) that this phenomenon is associated with transition state X….H….Y bond angles which are significantly less than 180°, whereas normal temperature dependence may be associated with transition states in which the angle is close to 180°. This work employs model calculations of isotope effects, principally for [1,5] H‐shifts in 1,3‐pentadiene, to examine Kwarts's hypothesis. No model tested yielded a temperature‐independent isotope effect of substantial magnitude. The transition state (angle = 133°) was located on the MNDO potential energy surface and the isotope effect, calculated by a new and fast computational procedure, was again temperature dependent. Model calculations of secondary hydrogen isotope effects were carried out. When bending motions of the non‐reacting hydrogens were coupled to C….H stretching modes in the force constant matrix, it was found that k H/ k D was greater than the equilibrium secondary isotope effect, k H / K D , and that k H / k D for hydrogen transfer exceeded k H / k D for deuteron transfer when simple tunnel corrections were incorporated. A novel interpretation to account for the observation of some temperature‐independent isotope effects is advanced.