Substitution reactions at octahedral centers. IV. Acid and base hydrolysis of chloropentakis(alkylamine)chromium(III) ions

Abstract

The compounds [Cr(RNH2)5Cl](ClO4)2, where R = H, CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, and n-C4H9, have been prepared and the replacement of chloride by either water or hydroxide ion subjected to kinetic examination. Below about pH 7 the reaction was acid independent, and ΔHA* was 22.4 kcal mole−1 when ammonia was the inert ligand compared with about 26.4 kcal mole−1 when the inert ligand was a primary amine. The corresponding ΔSA* values increased continuously with R from H to n-C4H9. At higher pH the rate became inversely dependent upon the acidity of the solution, and ΔHB* decreased from 26.7 kcal mole−1 for ammonia as the inert ligand to 25.4 kcal mole−1 for an amine as the inert ligand. For the pH dependent reaction the values obtained for ΔSB* were much larger than for the pH independent reaction but the pattern of variation as the inert ligands were changed was quite similar in the two cases. The great similarity in the trends of ΔS* values for the acid and base hydrolysis reactions has been interpreted in terms of a rate-determining step that is primarily dissociative in both cases.