Abstract
Solvolyses of phenyl chloroformate in water, D2O, CH3OD, 50% D2O-CH3OD, and in aqueous binary mixtures of acetone, ethanol and methanol are investigated at 25.0 ℃. Product selectivities are reported at 25 ℃ for a wide range of ethanol-water and methanol-water solvent compositions. The Grunwald-Winstein plots of first-order rate constants for phenyl chloroformate with YCl (based on 2-adamantyl chloride) show marked dispersions into three separate lines for the three aqueous mixtures with a small m value (m< 0.2) and a rate maximum for aqueous alcohol solvents. Third-order rate constants, kww, kaw, kwa and kaa were calculated from the observed kww and kaa values together with kaw and kwa calculated from the intercept and slope of the plot of 1/S vs. [alcohol]/[water]. The calculated rate constants, kcalc and mol % of ester agree satisfactorily with those of the observed rate constants, kobs and mol % of ester, supporting the stoichiometric solvation effect analysis. The kinetic solvent isotope effects determined in water and methanol are consistent with the proposed mechanism of the general base catalyzed and/or carbonyl addition for phenyl chloroformate solvolyses based on mass law and stoichiometric solvation effect studies.