title: Mechanisms of acid-base catalysis of beta-elimination reactions in systems activated by a pyridine ring.
abstract: Beta-elimination reactions from 1 (in quinuclidine/quinuclidinium chloride, imidazole/imidazolium, and acetate/acetic acid buffers) and from 2 (in imidazole/imidazolium and acetate/acetic acid buffers) with formation of 4-vinylpyridine and 2-vinylpyridine, respectively, were studied. The results of a kinetic study of acid-base catalysis and H/D exchange are consistent with NH(+), the protonated substrate, as the species that undergoes carbon deprotonation with an E1cb mechanism. The comparison with previously studied reactions in acetohydroxamate/acetohydroxamic acid buffer confirms this assignment. The high proton activating factor, PAF, value observed (PAF = 1.2 x 10 (6) with isomer 1 in quinuclidine/quinuclidinium buffer) can be explained with the high stability by the resonance of the intermediate carbanion.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica. Università degli Studi Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy. alunnis@unipg.it
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alunni
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ottavi