Water attack at an sp2 hybridized-carbon: the hydroxyl σ-complex of 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan in water–DMSO–tetramethylammonium chloride mixtures
The kinetics of formation and decomposition of the hydroxyl-σ adduct 2 derived from 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan 1 have been studied in various water – dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) – tetramethylammonium chloride (I = 0.5 M) mixtures. At pH < 7, the formation of 2 occurs exclusively from water attack at the 7-carbon of 1. This process is strongly favored by DMSO: the first-order rate constant k1H2O changes from 1.9 × 10−2 s−1 in water to 1.33 s−1 in 90% DMSO. Taking into account the decrease in the water content of the solutions, and assuming that only one water molecule participates in the reaction, this increase in k1H2O reflects a 103-fold increase in the ability of a water molecule to act as a nucleophile. This interesting result compares well with previous data reported by Murto for the solvolysis of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene in the same solvent mixtures.