Structure-Reactivity Relationship of Substituted Phenylethyl Arenesulfonates with Substituted Pyridines under High Pressure

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of (Z)-phenylethyl (X)-benzenesulfonates with (Y)-pyridines were investigated in acetonitrile at 60 ℃ under respective pressures. The magnitudes of the Hammett reaction constants, ρX, ρY and ρZ indicate that a stronger nucleophile leads to a greater degree of bond formation of C-N and a better leaving group is accompanied by a less degree of bond breaking. The magnitude of correlation interaction term, ρij can be used to determine the structure of the transition state (TS) for the SN reaction. As the pressure is increased, the Hammett reaction constants, ρX and |ρY|, are decreased, but correlation interaction coefficient, ρXZ and |ρYZ|, are increased. The results indicate that the reaction of (Z)-phenylethyl (X)-benzenesulfonates with (Y)-pyridines probably moves from a dissociative SN2 to early-type concerted SN2 mechanism by increasing pressure. This result shows that the correlation interaction term ρij can be useful tool to determine the structure of TS, and also the sign of the product ρXZ·ρYZ can be predict the movement of the TS.