title: Nucleophilic additions of trimethylsilyl cyanide to cyclic oxocarbenium ions: evidence for the loss of stereoselectivity at the limits of diffusion control.
abstract: The limitations of stereoelectronic models in assessing the stereoselective nucleophilic substitution reactions of cyclic oxocarbenium ions at high reaction rates are discussed. Evidence is provided suggesting that the diastereoselectivity of nucleophilic substitution reactions is attenuated at the limits of diffusion control. The low diastereoselectivities observed in the reactions of trimethylsilyl cyanide with five- and six-membered ring oxocarbenium ions are attributed to the high reactivity of the nucleophile and its reactions with these electrophiles at diffusion control rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, USA.
authors.forename: Siddhartha R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shenoy
authors.forename: Deborah M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Woerpel
mesh_terms: D000080:Acetals / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D003486:Cyanides / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000080:Acetals; D003486:Cyanides; D007477:Ions; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds; C058010:trimethylsilyl cyanide