Hydrolysis and aminolysis of alkyl xanthate esters and cellulose analogues

Abstract

The hydrolysis and aminolysis of a series of S-substituted O-alkylxanthate esters was studied in 20% v/v aqueous methanol at 35°C. The pH-rate profiles of the hydrolyses showed water and hydroxide-ion-catalyzed reactions. The reaction of 2,4-dinitrophenyl cellulose xanthate (CelXDNP) and p-nitrobenzyl cellulose xanthate (CelXNB) with polyalanine and lysozyme produced a covalent bond between the polypeptide and the cellulose matrix, as shown by solid-state 13C NMR. However, the nature of the bonding could not be identified. The reaction of nucleophiles (H2O, OH-, RNH2) and xanthic esters was consistent with an addition-elimination mechanism through a tetrahedral intermediate. Brønsted plots against the pKa of the nucleophile (βnu) or the nucleofuge of the substrate (βlg) were used to characterize the rate-determining step. The pKa values of the nucleophiles ranged between -1.74 and 15.74, and for the nucleofuges, they were in the range of 10.50-0.92. For nucleophiles with pKa values up to about 10, βlg was 0.10-0.15, and βnu changed from 0.48 to 0.35 for the strongest electron-withdrawing nucleofuge. It was concluded that the water-catalyzed hydrolyses, and also aminolyses with moderately basic amines, occur with rate-determining formation of the tetrahedral intermediate. For strong bases such as hydroxide ion, the disappearance of the intermediate becomes the slowest step. The reaction of cellulose xanthic esters with external nucleophiles as hydroxide ion and amines shows simple first-order kinetics and is slower than alkyl or sugar xanthates, probably due to the diffusion effect through the tight cybotactic region of cellulose. Key words: hydrolysis, aminolysis, alkyl xanthic esters, cellulose xanthic esters, sugar xanthic esters.