• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1017-1024
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• 2005

Elimination reactions of $XC_6H_4CH_2CO_2C_6H_3-2-Y-4-NO_2$ have been studied under various conditions. When X was moderately electron-withdrawing, Y = H, and base-solvent was $R_2$NH-MeCN, the reaction proceeded by the E2 mechanism via an E1cb-like transition state. Concave downward curve was noted in the Hammett plots. When X = 4-$NO_2$, Y = Cl, $CF_3,\;NO_2$, and the base-solvent was ${R_2NH/R_2NH_2}^+$ in 70 mol % MeCN(aq), the reaction proceeded by the E2 mechanism. The mechanism changed to a competing E2 and E1cb when X = 4-$NO_2$ and Y = H, MeO, and to the E1cb when X = 2,4-($NO_2)_2$, and Y = $NO_2$. From these results, a plausible pathway of the change of the mechanism from E2 to the E1cb extreme is proposed.