Comparison of the nucleophilicities of alcohols and alkoxides

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Abstract

The kinetics of the reactions of benzhydrylium ions with some alcohols and alkoxides dissolved in the corresponding alcohols were photometrically investigated. Using the correlation equation log k (20 °C) = s(E + N), the N and s parameters of methoxide, ethoxide, n-propoxide, and isopropoxide in alcohol–acetonitrile (91:9, v/v) were determined. The cosolvent acetonitrile has only a little influence on the rate constants of the reactions of alcohols and alkoxides. The order of N values (OH – << MeO – < EtO – < n-PrO – < i-PrO – ) shows that alkoxides differ only moderately in reactivity but are considerably more nucleophilic than hydroxide. As a consequence, the nucleophilic reactivity of a 0.5 mmol/L aqueous hydroxide solution increases by a factor of 13 when 10% (v/v) methanol is added. In 1–10 mmol/L alkoxide solutions in alcohols, weak electrophiles react considerably faster with alkoxides than with the corresponding alcohols. With increasing electrophilicity, the preference for alkoxides decreases, and electrophiles of –3 < E < 3 react with alkoxides (1–10 mmol/L) and alcohols with comparable rates. Stronger electrophiles will react with alcohols exclusively when alkoxides are present in concentrations ≤10 mmol/L. Key words: kinetics, alcohol, alkoxide, linear free energy relationship, nucleophilicity.<

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