title: Kinetics and mechanism of addition of benzylamines to benzylidene-1,3-indandiones in acetonitrile
abstract: Nucleophilic addition reactions of benzylamines (BA; XC6H4CH2NH2) to benzylidene-1,3-indandiones (BID; YC6H4CH=C(C=O)2C6H4) have been studied in acetonitrile at 25.0 degrees C. The rate is first-order with respect to BA and BID, and no base catalysis is observed. The structure-reactivity behaviors (k2, rhoX, betaX, and betaY) are intermediate between the two series of addition reactions of BA to beta-nitrostyrene (NS) and benzylidenemalononitrile (BMN) in acetonitrile. The normal kinetic isotope effects, kH/kD > 1.0, involving deuterated BAs (XC6H4CH2ND2) are smaller than those for the reactions of NS and BMN suggesting a somewhat looser bond formation in the transition state. The reaction is predicted to proceed in a single step with concurrent C(alpha)-N bond formation and proton transfer to C(beta). A hydrogen-bonded, four-center type cyclic transition state is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Chonbuk National University, Korea.
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lee