Significance of hydrophobic interactions in water–organic binary solvents

Abstract

A LFE (Linear Free Energy) analysis of kinetic data for different organic reactions in various organic aqueous solutions was carried out. The rate constants of these reactions were compared with those for the solvolysis of tert-butyl chloride in the same solvents in terms of the LFE Relationships, and linear plots were observed in a wide range of the co-solvent content. This similarity points to a common nature of the solvent effect in these reactions in variety of water–organic mixtures, regardless of largely different reaction mechanisms. We explain these results by the prevalence of hydrophobic stabilization of the initial state of these reactions in water-rich solvent mixtures. Recently the same conclusion was also made on the basis of investigations into sonication effects in kinetics of organic reactions. A considerable contribution of hydrophobic effects to the Y scale by Grunwald and Winstein was deduced.