BASE HYDROLYSIS OF TRANS-HALOGENOAMMINEBIS(DIMETHYLGLYOXIMATO)COBALT(III) COMPLEXES

The disappearance of trans-[Co(LH)2(NH3)X] (LH = dimethylglyoximate ion, X = chloride or bromide) has been studied in aqueous solutions over a range of alkali concentrations at various temperatures. The kinetics were done with excess of hydroxide ion at a constant ionic strength so that pseudo first-order rate constants were obtained in all the runs. The results were interpreted in terms of the rapid formation of a pre-equilibrium species which then reacts in a rate-determining step to give products. The relatively large equilibrium constants support a conjugate-base pre-equilibrium, in which the proton is lost from oxygen, while the relatively low reactivities of the conjugate-bases are consistent with the absence of electropositive electromeric effects. The similarity in the reactivities of the chloro and the bromo conjugate-bases suggests the possibility of an SN2CB mechanism. © 1969, CSIRO. All rights reserved.