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Anionic nucleophile–cation radical combination reactions. The super‐electrophilic properties of cation radicals in solution
Author(s) -
Parker Ver D.,
Reitstöen Björn,
Tilset Mats
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of physical organic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.325
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1395
pISSN - 0894-3230
DOI - 10.1002/poc.610020711
Subject(s) - chemistry , nucleophile , radical , perchlorate , electrophile , photochemistry , radical ion , reaction rate constant , acetonitrile , medicinal chemistry , inorganic chemistry , ion , organic chemistry , catalysis , kinetics , physics , quantum mechanics
Rate constants were determined for the combination reactions of a series of cation radicals derived from substituted anthracenes with acetate, p ‐nitrobenzoate, trifluoroacetate, nitrate and perchlorate ions. Rate constants, depending on the identities of the cation radicals and the nucleophiles, ranging from about 200 to 2 × 10 10 1 mol −1 s −1 were observed in acetonitrile at 293 K. The key steps in the reaction are (1) reversible complex formation between the anion and the cation radical followed by (2) irreversible bond formation\documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$$ \begin{array}{*{20}c} {\rm{Ar}^{ + \cdot } + \rm{X}^ - \rightleftharpoons {{\rm{Ar}^{ + \cdot } } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\rm{Ar}^{ + \cdot } } {\rm{X}^ - }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\rm{X}^ - }}} &&&&& {(1)} \\ {{{\rm{Ar}^{ + \cdot } } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\rm{Ar}^{ + \cdot } } {\rm{X}^ - }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\rm{X}^ - }} \to \rm{Ar}^ \cdot - \rm{X}} &&&&& {(2)} \\ \end{array} $$\end{document} . The preliminary results show that cation radical–anionic nucleophile reactions can be very facile. The cation radicals of 9‐nitro‐ and 9‐cyanoanthracene are particularly reactive, giving rise to rate constants close to the diffusion‐controlled limit with all anionic nucleophile studied and even react moderately rapidly with perchlorate ion. The reaction with perchlorate ion can be compared to the behavior of stable carbenium ions that coexist with the anion in solution and in crystalline salts.