Solvolytic reactions in fluorinated alcohols. Role of nucleophilic and other solvation effects

Rate constants and products for solvolyses of chlorodiphenylmethane (Ph2CHCl) and p-methoxybenzyl chloride in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE)/water and TFE/ethanol are reported, along with additional kinetic data for solvolyses of tert-butyl and other alkyl halides (RX) in 97% w/w TFE/water and in 97% w/w hexafluoropropan-2-ol/water (HFIP). Results are discussed in terms of the solvent ionizing power (Y) and the solvent nucleophilicity (N), and contributions from other solvation effects are considered. Comparisons with other S(N)1 solvolyses show that solvolyses of Ph2CHCl in TFE mixtures are unexpectedly fast, but product ratios are unexceptional. An additional solvation effect influences solvolyses leading to delocalized cations, and a delocalized cationic transition state for concerted elimination may explain the recent results of Takeuchi et al., (J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 4904) without the need to postulate additional specific solvation effects for adamantyl systems, such as Bronsted-base solvation of alpha- and beta-hydrogen atoms; concerted elimination may occur because simple tertiary alkyl cations are too unstable to form in predominantly aqueous media. Iodide/bromide and bromide/chloride rate ratios are very similar for 1-adamantyl halides and corresponding solvolyses of tert-butyl halides; these ratios decrease in the order aq EtOH > TFE > HFIP, as expected for an electrophilic solvation effect (this effect can readily be incorporated into Y values). From kinetic data for a series of tertiary alkyl chlorides in 97% TFE/water, it is shown that the susceptibility of rates of solvolyses of RCl to N decreases with an increase in steric hindrance or with an increase in charge stabilization. Also, the small kinetic solvent isotope effects for typical solvolyses (e.g., methyl tosylate) indicate that nucleophilic attack lags behind heterolysis of the C-X bond.