Rate and equilibrium constants for hydride transfer from a series of 1,3-dimethyl-2-substituted phenylbenzimidazolines to a pyridinium ion, a quinolinium ion, and a phenanthridinium ion have been evaluated. Each oxidizing agent gives a linear Brønsted plot with slope, α. The α values vary systematically with the spontaniety of the reactions. They are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of modified Marcus theory. Their trend is very accurately predicted, showing a parallel (Leffler−Hammond) effect. These results make a multistep mechanism, involving high energy intermediates, very unlikely.

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It has been shown that the rate of symmetrical hydride transfer reaction varies with the hydride affinity of the (identical) donor and acceptor. In that case, Marcus theory of atom and group transfer predicts that the Brønsted alpha depends on the location of the substituent, whether it is in the donor or the acceptor, and the tightness of the critical configuration, as well as the resemblance of the critical configuration to reactants or products. This prediction has now been confirmed for hydride transfer reactions between heterocyclic, nitrogen-containing cations, which can be regarded as analogues of the enzyme cofactor, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). A series of reactions with substituents in the donor gives Brønsted alpha of 0.67 +/- 0.03 and a tightness parameter, tau, of 0.64 +/- 0.06. With substituents in the acceptor alpha = 0.32 +/- 0.03 and tau = 0.68 +/- 0.08. The reactions are all spontaneous, with equilibrium constants between 0.4 and 3 x 10(4), and the two sets span about the same range of equilibrium constants. The two tau values are essentially identical with an average value of 0.66 +/- 0.05. These results can be semiquantitatively mimicked by rate constants calculated for a linear, triatomic model of the reaction. Variational transition state theory and a physically motivated but empirically calibrated potential function were used. The computed rate constants generate an alpha value of 0.56 if the hydride affinity of the acceptor is varied and an alpha of 0.44 if the hydride affinity of the donor is varied. The calculated kinetic isotope effects are similar to the measured values. A previous error in the Born charging term of the potential function has been corrected. Marcus theory can be successfully fitted to both the experimental and computed rate constants, and appears to be the most compact way to express and compare them. The success of the linear triatomic model in qualitatively reproducing these results encourages the continued use of this easily conceptualized model to think about group, ion, and atom transfer reactions.