Kinetic and mechanistic study on the reaction of alkylcobaloximes with azoles

Abstract

The kinetics of axial water substitution by azoles (pyrazole and 1,2,4-triazole) in three different cobaloximes, viz.trans-[Co(Hdmg)(2)(R)H(2)O] where Hdmg = dimethylglyoximate, R = PhCH(2), Et and CF(3)CH(2), were studied as a function of azole concentration, temperature and pressure in aqueous solution. The second order rate constants for the substitution of water in trans-[Co(Hdmg)(2)(R)H(2)O] for R = Et at pH 6.0, 25 degrees C and I= 0.1 M (NaClO(4)), were found to be 1309 and 1200 M(-1) s(-1) for pyrazole (Pz) and 1,2,4-triazole (Tz), respectively, and those obtained for R = PhCH(2) were found to be 755 and 691 M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The second order rate constants in the case of R = CF(3)CH(2) were found to be 0.358 and 0.348 M(-1) s(-1) for Pz and Tz, respectively. The relative order of reactivity for the different alkyls being Et > PhCH(2) > CF(3)CH(2). The activation parameters (DeltaH([not equal]), DeltaS([not equal]) and DeltaV([not equal])) obtained for these reactions were found to be in the range of 65-87 kJ mol(-1), 24-47 J mol(-1) K(-1) and 2.5-7.7 cm(3) mol(-1), respectively. These data suggest that an I(d) substitution mechanism operates where the azoles participate in the transition state.