The site of ionization in the acetylation of aliphatic esters by [(CH₃CO)₃]⁺

Abstract

A series of esters RCOOR′ (where R, R′ = CH3, CH3CH2, (CH3)2CH, (CH3)3C) were reacted with the [(CH3CO)3]+ ion from biacetyl in an ion cyclotron resonance spectrometer. A steric effect influences the rate of formation of stable products [RCOOR′·CH3CO]+ and is used to determine that either oxygen of the ester may be initially acylated by [(CH3CO)3]+.