Kinetics and Reaction Mechanism of Aminolyses of Benzyl 2-Pyridyl Carbonate and t-Butyl 2-Pyridyl Carbonate in Acetonitrile

Second-order rate constants ($k_N$) have been measured spectrophotometrically for the reactions of benzyl 2-pyridyl carbonate $\mathbf{3}$ and $t$-butyl 2-pyridyl carbonate $\mathbf{3}$ with a series of alicyclic secondary amines in MeCN at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. Substrate $\mathbf{4}$ is much less reactive than $\mathbf{3}$ and the steric hindrance exerted by the bulky $t$-Bu group in $\mathbf{4}$ has been attributed to its decreased reactivity. The Br${\o}$nsted-type plots for the reactions of $\mathbf{3}$ and $\mathbf{4}$ are linear with ${\beta}_{nuc}=0.57$ and 0.45, respectively. Thus, the reactions have been concluded to proceed through a concerted mechanism, although the current reactions were expected to proceed through a stepwise mechanism with a zwitterionic tetrahedral intermediate $T^{\pm}$. It has been proposed that the rate of leaving-group expulsion is accelerated by the intramolecular H-bonding interaction in $T^{\pm}$ and the "push" provided by the RO group through the resonance interaction. Thus, the enhanced nucleofugality forces the reactions to proceed through a concerted mechanism. The reactivity-selectivity principle (RSP) is not applicable to the current reaction systems, since the reaction of the less reactive $\mathbf{4}$ results in a smaller ${\beta}_{nuc}$ than that of the more reactive $\mathbf{3}$. Steric hindrance exerted by the bulky $t$-Bu group in $\mathbf{4}$ has been suggested to be responsible for the failure of the RSP.