Solvent Effects on Anchimerically Assisted Solvolyses. III. Solvent Effects on the Solvolyses of (1-Arylcycloalkyl)methyl p-Toluenesulfonates

Abstract

Abstract The solvolysis rates of (1-arylcyclobutyl)methyl and (1-arylcyclopropyl)methyl p-toluenesulfonates were measured in a wide variety of solvents. The aryl-assisted kΔ solvolysis of [1-(p-methoxyphenyl)cyclobutyl]methyl p-toluenesulfonate did not give a linear Winstein–Grunwald correlation using the 2-adamantyl-based YOTs scale, but did show dispersion for different binary solvent mixtures. An extended dual-parameter treatment, log (k/k80E) = mcYOTs + mΔYΔ, successfully correlated the present set of kΔ solvolyses with R > 0.995 and SD < 0.09. The blending parameter MΔ (= 0.51mΔ/(mc + 0.51mΔ)) increases monotonically with increased electron donation by the substituent, showing an increased dispersion of the YOTs plot with increasing anchimeric assistance. The solvolysis of (1-arylcycloalkyl)methyl p-toluenesulfonates demonstrates the varying extent of anchimeric assistance by the neighboring groups, from a completely synchronous aryl-assisted process for the p-methoxy derivative of (1-phenylcyclobutyl)methyl p-toluenesulfonate, via moderately to weakly aryl-assistance by the p-methyl derivative and the unsubstituted compound, to a completely aryl-unassisted kc process for the more electron-withdrawing aryl derivatives and the (1-arylcyclopropyl)methyl p-toluenesulfonates. The dual-parameter equation enables one to monitor the varying extent of anchimeric assistance in the transition state. From the results we propose a general solvolysis framework involving a continuous spectrum of kc − kΔ mechanisms for anchimerically assisted solvolysis.