THE MECHANISM OF THE CARBONYL ELIMINATION REACTION OF BENZYL NITRATE KINETIC ISOTOPE EFFECTS AND DEUTERIUM EXCHANGE

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Abstract
The carbonyl elimination reaction (ECO2) of benzyl nitrate has been investigated with the object of distinguishing between the concerted and carbanion mechanisms. A deuterium exchange experiment resulted in a very small amount of deuterium pickup. The nitrogen isotope effect, k14/k15, associated with formation of the nitrite ion was found to be 1.0196 ± 0.0007 at 30 °C. The two results taken together exclude the formation of a carbanion intermediate but are consistent with a concerted mechanism.Benzyl-α-d2 nitrate has been prepared and the rate of its carbonyl elimination reaction compared with that of the undeuterated compound. The deuterium isotope effect was 5.04 ± 0.25 at 60 °C. The significance of the magnitude of the nitrogen and deuterium isotope effects and of their interrelationship with the Hammett reaction constant rho is discussed in terms of the nature of the transition state and a comparison is made with other E2 elimination reactions.