Why Are Esters and Amides Weaker Carbon Acids than Ketones and Acid Fluorides? Contributions by Resonance and Inductive Effects

Abstract

Two computational methodologies-a vinylogue extrapolation methodology and a block localized wave function (BLW) methodology-were employed to determine the contributions by resonance and inductive effects toward the gas-phase deprotonation enthalpies at the alpha carbons of acetone, acetamide, acetic acid, and acetyl fluoride, which were taken to be model compounds for ketones, amides, esters, and acid fluorides, respectively. Results from the vinylogue methodology suggest that resonance serves to enhance the gas-phase deprotonation enthalpy of a ketone by 34.3 kcal/mol, an amide by 26.2 kcal/mol, an ester by 30.5 kcal/mol, and an acid fluoride by 30.8 kcal/mol. Comparably, the BLW methodology suggests those numbers to be 42.3, 31.2, 36.1, and 39.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Results from the vinylogue methodology suggest that inductive effects serve to enhance the gas-phase deprotonation enthalpy of a ketone by 11.8 kcal/mol, an amide by 12.7 kcal/mol, an ester by 15.5 kcal/mol, and an acid fluoride by 26.0 kcal/mol, and in the same order, those numbers suggested by the BLW methodology are 3.0, 6.2, 8.5, and 16.3 kcal/mol.