title: Kinetics of the Reaction of beta-Methoxy-alpha-nitrostilbene with Cyanamide in 50 DMSO-50 Water. Failure to Detect the S(N)V Intermediate.
abstract: A kinetic study of the reaction of beta-methoxy-alpha-nitrostilbene (1-OMe) with cyanamide (CNA) over a pH range from 8.5 to 12.4 shows that it is the anion (CNA(-), pK(a) = 11.38) rather than the neutral amine that is the reactive species. Attempts at monitoring the reaction with the neutral CNA at low pH were unsuccessful because of competing hydrolysis. It is shown that the nucleophilic reactivity of CNA is abnormally low, probably because of a resonance effect, and that the reactivity of CNA(-) is high, higher than that of strongly basic oxyanion because of relatively weak solvation. The high reactivity of both 1-OMe and CNA(-) appeared to constitute favorable conditions conducive to the detection of the S(N)V intermediate, as has been the case in the reactions of 1-OMe with thiolate ions, alkoxide ions, and some amines. However, no intermediate was observed. Reasons for this failure are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, and the Department of Organic Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors.forename: Claude F.
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.forename: Aquiles E.
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Leyes
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rappoport