Transcript Slide 1

Part 3ii
Substitution Reactions:
Solvent
Me
CN
HH
Cl
Polar
Protic
Solvent
DMSO
MeOH
SN1
Me
Cl
HH
N C
Polar
Non-Protic
Solvent
MeOH
DMSO
SN2
Me
CN
HH
Cl
Content of Part 3ii
Solvent polarity and its effect on the SN1 reaction mechanism
Solvent polarity and its effect on the SN2 reaction mechanism
Protic and non-protic solvents and their effect on the SN2 mechanism
Protic and polar non-protic solvents and change of mechanism from SN1 to SN2
Increasing solvent polarity and change of mechanism from SN2 to SN1
CHM1C3
– Introduction to Chemical Reactivity of Organic
Compounds–
– Learning
Objectives Part 3ii –
Substitution Reactions:
Solvent
After completing PART 5ii of this course you should have an understanding of, and be able to demonstrate, the following
terms, ideas and methods.
(i)
Understand how changes in the polarity of the solvent can change the rate of reaction in both SN2 and SN1
reaction mechanisms,
(ii)
Understand what is meant by the dielectric constant of a solvent,
(iii)
Understand what is meant by protic and non-protic solvents,
(iv)
Understand what a hydrogen bond is,
(v)
Understand how protic solvents reduce the rate of reaction of nucleophiles with substrates, and
(vi)
Understand how increasing the polarity of the solvent can change the mechanism of substitution from SN2 to
SN1.
Effect of Solvent
Changing the solvent in which a reaction is carried out in can
(i)
Effect the reaction rate
(ii)
Result in a change in reaction mechanism
Solvent Polarity and SN1 Reactions
Relative Rate
Br
Solvent:
OH
Rate = k[R-Br]
1
H2O/EtOH
SN1
Br
Solvent:
OH
Rate = k[R-Br]
H2O
SN1
Why is reaction much faster in water alone?
30 000
Both reactions must involve the sp2 hybridised carbocation.
The carbocation is obviously a very polar species.
Polar species are most stable in polar solvents.
The dielectric constant (e) of a solvent is a measure of the polarity of a solvent.
The larger the e the more polar the solvent.
e (H2O) = 78
e (EtOH) = 30
Thus, higher e solvent solvate and stabilise the carbocation more easily than
lower e solvents.
Thus, cations are generated more rapidly in higher e solvents.
Solvent Polarity and SN2 Reactions
Increasing solvent polarity on substrates that undergo SN2 substitution
reactions has a much less dramatic effect.
As there is no cation formed there is nothing to stabilise.
However, it is found that there is usually a slight decrease in rate with
increasing polarity, especially when the nucleophile is charged, i.e. an anion.
In much the same way as a carbocation is stabilised by higher polarity
solvents, so are anions.
Thus, in higher polarity solvents the nucleophile is more solvated and more
stable, and therefore less reactive and the rate drops in higher polarity
solvents.
Protic Solvents and Nucleophile Interaction
A protic solvent is one in which there is hydrogen
capable of forming a hydrogen bond to the
nucleophile,
i.e.
a
hydrogen
attached
to
an
electronegative heteroatom (O and N).
e.g. H2O, MeOH, EtOH
Me
O
H
+
:Nu
This results in a highly
solvated
and
stable
nucleophile, and therefore
relative unreactive.
Non-Protic Solvents and the Nucleophile Interaction
A non-protic solvent is one in which there is no hydrogen
capable of forming a hydrogen bond to the nucleophile.
This then results in the nucleophile being poorly solvated and
relatively more reactive.
O
N
O
O
O
S
Me
Me
DMSO
O
H
Me2N
DMF
H
MeCN
Acetone
Ethylacetate
H
O
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
H
Chloroform Dichloromethane
Et
Et
Ether
Alkanes
Rel.
Rate
H
N3
I
HH
I
HH
H
N3
Non-Protic
Solvent
DMF
I
Rate = k[R-I][N3-]
1
HH
MeOH
H
N3
Protic
Solvent
SN2
H
N3
I
HH
Rate = k[R-I][N3-] 45 000
SN2
It should be noted MeOH and DMF have similar e values, 33 and 37 respectively.
Thus, any rate differences are not a result of solvating ability alone.
-
Me
Polar Protic Solvent
O
H
N
+
N
N
H
O
Hydrogen Bond
DMF
H
Me
Lone pairs are rendered less effective in
attacking the electrophilic centre
Polar Non-Protic Solvent
O
N
CH3
CH3
None of the Hs are attached to
electronegative atoms, therefore no H-bond
donors, as above.
Therefore, lone pairs on N3- are available for
attaching the electrophilic centre
Protic and Polar Non-Protic Solvents and Change of
Mechanism from SN1 to SN2
Me
MeOH
Me
Rate = k[R-Cl]
Cl
N C
CN
e = 33
HH
DMSO
Me
HH
HH
e = 46
SN1
Rate = k[R-I][N3-]
Me
Cl
N C
Cl
CN
HH
Cl
SN2
MeOH:Protic, e = 33
Me
MeOH hydrogen bonds to CNvery efficiently, thus making
the CN- a relatively poor
nucleophile,
under
these
conditions.
O
H
C
N
H
Unreactive
O
The C-Cl bond then has time to fragment to generate the carbocation and Cl-.
Therefore, reaction proceeds via SN1 mechanism
DMSO:Non-Protic, e = 47
There are no strong hydrogen bonding
interactions between the cyanide and the
DMSO.
Thus, the cyanide anion lone pairs are ‘naked’
and, therefore is a relatively good nuclephile.
i.e. the cyanide can react with R-Cl before
the C-Cl bond fragments.
Thus, reaction proceeds via an SN2
mechanism
DMSO
O
N C
Reactive
S
H 3C
CH3
Me
Increasing Solvent Polarity and Change of Mechanism from
SN2 to SN1
I-
Solvent:
Br
I
Br- Rate = k[I-][R-Br]
SN2
Br-
SN1
EtOEt
e=3
Solvent:
I-
Br
I
Rate = k[R-Br]
H2O
e = 78
This is fairly simple to conceptualise: If your start with a alkyl halide in a low dielectric
solvent then the carbocation will not be formed as the dielectric of the solvent will not
support the polar carbocation.
Thus, SN2 reaction mechanism will predominate at low e.
As the polarity of the solvent increases it becomes increasingly easier to support a
carbocation, and the I- is hydrogen bonded as is a poor nuclephile.
Thus, SN1 reaction mechanism will predominate at high e.
Polar Protic
Solvent
Polar Non-Protic
Dielectric
Constant
H2O
Solvent
80
Non-Polar
Non-Protic
Dielectric
Constant
HCONMe2
33
MeCOMe
21
acetone
EtOH
24
1-PrOH
MeCOEt
20
1-BuOH
MeCO2Et
18
MeS(O)Me
18
6
47
DMSO
1 PeOH
15
MeNO2
39
nitromethane
HCO2H
58
CH3CO2H
6
MeCN
acetonitrile
Polar?
O
O
Me
H
NMe2
Me
DMF
dimethyformaldehyde
O
Me
9
CHCl3
5
Polar?
CCl4
2
THF
9
tetrahydrofuran
Et2O
3
CCl4
2
n-Octane
2
n-Hexane
2
n-Pentane
2
Benzene
2
37
acetonitrile
O
N
CH2Cl2
N
Me
acetone
Dielectric
Constant
38
DMF
MeOH
Solvent
All values rounded to nearest integer
S
O
nitromethane
Me
Me
DMSO
dimethylsulfoxide
O
THF
tetrahydrofuran
http://www.asiinstruments.com/technical.asp
High e solvents:
Cation formation promoted (if Nu is poor, i.e. attacks slowly
Low e solvents:
Cation formation prevented
SN1 Promoted
Nu
R
X
SN2 Promoted
Nu
R
Polar Protic solvents:
Hydrogen bond to Nu,
Ineffective Nu,
R-X is able to cleave,
before Nu attacks
SN1 Promoted
R Nu
X
Nu R
X
Polar Non-protic solvents
Nu lone pair not hydrogen bonded
Effective Nu, and attacks before R-X
cleaves
SN2 Promoted
X
CHM1C3
– Introduction to Chemical Reactivity of Organic
Compounds–
– Summary
Sheet Part 3ii –
Substitution Reactions:
Solvent
If one considers an SN1 reaction in which a carbocation is formed, then increasing the polarity of the solvent will lead to
better solvation of the carbocation, and therefore greater stability.
Thus, increasing the solvent polarity from, for
example EtOH (e = 30) to H2O (e = 78), the rate of reaction increases by several orders of magnitude as the stability of the
carbocation is so much greater in H2O than EtOH. Indeed, a reaction in a low dielectric solvent may go via an SN2
reaction (i.e. no requirement for stabilisation of a carbocation), but when transferred to a higher dielectric solvent may
change mechanism to SN1.
Not only is the stabilisation of the carbocation important by the solvent, but also the interaction of the nucleophile with
the solvent. Nucleophiles have by definition a lone pair of electrons for donation to electrophilic centres, i.e. the carbon
attached to the leaving group. However, if the solvent has a hydrogen atom attached to a electronegative heteroatom (O,
S, N, such as an alcohol, amine or thiol) then this hydrogen atom will carry a partial positive charge and interact as
hydrogen bond acceptor with the lone pair of electrons on the nucleophile. Thus, the lone pair of electrons will now be
less effective in a nucleophilic sense. Thus, SN2 mechanisms might be slowed down on transferring to protic solvents,
or even change to SN1 if the media is even just slight more polar due to the increased time available for scission of the
C-leaving group bond.
Exercise 1: Substitution Reactions
Identify the ethers B and C, and rationalise the difference in reaction outcomes.
NaOEt
NaOEt
DMSO
EtOH
B
Br
rate = k[R-Br][NaOEt]
A
rate = k[R-Br]
B+C
Answer 1: Substitution Reactions
Identify the ethers D and E, and rationalise the difference in reaction outcomes.
NaOEt
NaOEt
DMSO
EtOH
B
SN2
Br
rate = k[R-Br][NaOEt]
B+C
SN1
rate = k[R-Br]
A
DMSO does not
hydrogen bond to
the EtO- lone pairs,
making
EtOa
good nucleophile.
Thus, EtO- attacks
electrophilic centre
before C-Br bond
cleave.
Me
Me
Br
Br
EtO
Br
Me
carbocationic
reactive
intermediate
Br
OEt
EtOH
hydrogen
bonds to the EtO-,
making EtO- a poor
nucleophile. Thus,
C-Br bond cleaves
before attack of
EtO-.
EtO
Me
Me
Br
EtO
Me
Me
OEt
EtO
E
D
EtO