The stabilization afforded a vinyl cation by a
β-(CH3)3Si substituent has been
determined by measuring
in a high-pressure mass spectrometer the thermodynamic data for the
association of three alkynes (RCCR‘) with
(CH3)3Si+ and with the
proton. The measured −ΔH° (kcal
mol-1) and −ΔS° (in
parentheses, cal K-1
mol-1) values
for the reaction (CH3)3Si+
+ RCCR‘ ⇄
(CH3)3Si·C(R)CR‘+
are as follows: 1-hexyne (R = H, R‘ =
n-C4H9) 25.9
± 1.5 (19.1 ± 0.2), 2-hexyne (R = CH3, R‘ =
n-C3H7) 28.8 ± 1.4 (25.5 ± 0.3),
and phenylacetylene (R = H, R‘
= C6H5) 28.2 ± 2.8 (16.5 ± 0.4). By
comparison the values for 1-hexene which forms an alkyl cation are 38.2
±
0.5 kcal mol-1 (48.2 ± 0.1 cal
K-1 mol-1).
The deduced stabilizations (A) for all the substituents
(R, R‘ and (CH3)3Si)
obtained from the isodesmic reaction
(CH3)3Si·C(R)CR‘+
+ CH2CH2 →
(CH3)3Si·C(R)C(H)R‘ +
CH2CH+ are (kcal
mol-1) as follows: 1-hexyne 55, 2-hexyne
58, and phenylacetylene 58. The deduced stabilization for the
(CH3)3Si+
adduct of 1-hexene relative to the ethyl cation is 60 kcal
mol-1. The measured proton affinities
are (kcal mol-1) as
follows: 1-hexyne 194.5 ± 0.5, 2-hexyne 195.8 ± 0.2,
phenylacetylene 198.6 ± 0.2, and 1-hexene 194.0 ± 0.5.
The stabilizations (B) due to R and R‘ in the vinyl
cations RC(H)CR‘+ produced by protonaton are
calculated from
the isodesmic reactions RC(H)CR‘+ +
CH2CH2 → RC(H)C(H)R‘ +
CH2CH+ and are (kcal
mol-1) as follows:
1-hexyne 44, 2-hexyne 46, and phenylacetylene 50. The comparable
value for the alkyl cation from the protonation
of 1-hexene is 34 kcal mol-1. The
stabilizations of the vinyl cations RC(H)CR‘+ due
to the presence of a β-(CH3)3Si
(A − B) are (kcal
mol-1) as follows: 1-hexyne 11, 2-hexyne
12, and phenylacetylene 9. For the alkyl cation
formed
from 1-hexene, the value is 26 kcal mol-1.
The stabilization of a vinyl cation by an α-alkyl or α-aryl
substituent is
subtantially greater than that afforded by the same substituent in an
alkyl cation. The total stabilization afforded by
both an α-alkyl or α-aryl substituent and a
β-(CH3)3Si substituent appears to be
approximately the same in both
alkyl and vinyl cations and hence the β-silicon effect is
considerably smaller for the vinyl cation.