The Meyer Reaction of Phenylnitromethane in Acid. III. The Tautomerization to the aci-Form
The rate-acidity profiles for the Meyer rearrangement–hydrolysis of phenylnitromethane in sulfuric, perchloric, and hydrochloric acid show a maximum near 3 M acid. Ring-substituted phenylnitromethanes also show a maximum in their rate profiles, at slightly different acid concentrations. These maxima arise because the slow formation of the aci-form is followed by two competing reactions: fast tautomerization back to the nitro-form, and fast rearrangement–hydrolysis to the Meyer products. The rearrangement is rate-limiting in dilute acid and is acid-catalyzed, causing the rate increase. In more concentrated acid, the rate-limiting step is the nitro to aci tautomerization, which is not acid-catalyzed, and which goes more slowly as the activity of water decreases.The tautomerization was studied by means of primary and solvent deuterium isotope effects, and was found to occur through proton abstraction by water, through a transition state closely resembling the products.