Isotope effects in nucleophilic substitution reactions. V. The mechanism of the decomposition of 1-phenylethyldimethylphenylammonium halides in chloroform

Abstract

Secondary α and β hydrogen–deuterium kinetic isotope effects have been used together to show that the SN reaction between 1-phenylethyldimethylphenylammonium ion and bromide or iodide ion in chloroform occurs by way of an SN2 mechanism within a triple ion in spite of the fact that it reacts faster than the primary substrate, benzyldimethylphenylammonium bromide. The very loose transition state and steric effects in the ground state appear to be responsible for the unusually fast SN2 reactions between 1-phenylethyldimethylphenylammonium ion and halide ions in chloroform.