title: Formation and stability of enolates of acetamide and acetate anion: an Eigen plot for proton transfer at alpha-carbonyl carbon.
abstract: Second-order rate constants were determined in D(2)O for deprotonation of acetamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, and acetate anion by deuterioxide ion and for deprotonation of acetamide by quinuclidine. The values of k(B) = 4.8 x 10(-8) M(-1) s(-1) for deprotonation of acetamide by quinuclidine (pK(BH) = 11.5) and k(BH) = 2-5 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) for the encounter-limited reverse protonation of the enolate by protonated quinuclidine give pK(a)(C) = 28.4 for ionization of acetamide as a carbon acid. The limiting value of k(HOH) = 1 x 10(11) s(-1) for protonation of the enolate of acetate anion by solvent water and k(HO) = 3.5 x 10(-9) M(-1) s(-1) for deprotonation of acetate anion by HO(-) give pK(a)(C) approximately 33.5 for acetate anion. The change in the rate-limiting step from chemical proton transfer to solvent reorganization results in a downward break in the slope of the plot of log k(HO) against carbon acid pK(a) for deprotonation of a wide range of neutral alpha-carbonyl carbon acids by hydroxide ion, from -0.40 to -1.0. Good estimates are reported for the stabilization of the carbonyl group relative to the enol tautomer by electron donation from alpha-SEt, alpha-OMe, alpha-NH(2), and alpha-O(-) substituents. The alpha-NH(2) and alpha-OMe groups show similar stabilizing interactions with the carbonyl group, while the interaction of alpha-O(-) is only 3.4 kcal/mol more stabilizing than for alpha-OH. We propose that destabilization of the enolate intermediates of enzymatic reactions results in an increasing recruitment of metal ions by the enzyme to provide electrophilic catalysis of enolate formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260-3000, USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: AnnMarie C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.forename: Tina L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Amyes
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000838:Anions; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000737:chemistry; D011812:Quinuclidines / Q000737:chemistry; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000085:Acetates; D000838:Anions; D007659:Ketones; D011812:Quinuclidines; C030686:acetamide; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; C013959:dimethylacetamide