No abstract

Product selectivities [S = ([ester product]/[acid product]) x ([water]/[alcohol solvent])] are reported for solvolyses of p-methoxybenzoyl chloride (2) in aqueous methanol, ethanol, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol at 25, 35, and 45 degrees C. S values are small and depend significantly on the alcohol cosolvent, varying from 1.3 in methanol to 0.1 in tert-butyl alcohol, but S depends only slightly on the solvent composition, and on the temperature. As S adjusts the product ratios for changes in bulk solvent compositions, it is suggested that preferential solvation by either alcohol or water at the reaction site is not a major factor influencing rates or products. Logarithms of rates of solvolyses of 2 correlate well with Kosower Z values (based on solvatochromism). In contrast, another solvatochromic polarity index, E(T)(30), shows "dispersion" in correlations with the solvent ionizing power parameter, Y(OTs), probably due to aromatic ring and other solvation effects.

Rate constants and product selectivities (S) for solvolyses of ethyl phenylphosphonochloridate [PhP(O)OEtCl] in aqueous ethanol and methanol at 0 °C are reported; S = ([ester product]/[acid product]) ×­([water]/[alcohol solvent]). The results show trends very similar to those previously reported for solvolyses of diphenyl phosphorochloridate [(PhO)2P(O)Cl] and p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyl phosphorochloridate, much more hydrophobic substrates. Implications of these results are as follows: (i) as S increases about threefold from 99.8 to 90% alcohol–water and only about the same amount from 90 to 40% alcohol–water, the main cause of variations in S does not appear to be medium effects of the solvents; (ii) contrary to the general trend to increase, values of S may decrease slightly (ca 15%) in highly aqueous alcohol–water mixtures, even when (as in this case) there is no evidence for mechanistic changes; (iii) the deviations from expected third‐order rate product correlations previously reported for solvolyses of diphenyl phosphorochloridate and the p,p′‐dichloro derivative do not appear to be due solely to their high hydrophobicity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.