PRESSURE EFFECT AND MECHANISM IN ACID CATALYSIS: IV. THE HYDROLYSIS OF DIETHYL ETHER

Abstract

The acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of diethyl ether has been measured in the temperature range 120–160 °C at low acid concentrations; the entropy of activation is −9.0 ± ~2.5 cal deg−1 mole−1. The effect of pressures up to 3000 atm has been measured at 161.2 °C; the volume of activation at 1 atm is −8.5 ± ~2 cm3 mole−1. These two results show that the slow step is bimolecular. The rate in concentrated acids was measured at 119 °C; the rate was much more nearly proportional to the acidity function h0 than to concentration of acid. This is contrary to the predictions of the Zucker–Hammett hypothesis, which is therefore not valid for the hydrolysis of diethyl ether.