Laser flash photolysis study of substituent effects on the rate of 1,2-H migration in a series of benzylchlorocarbenes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00036a003

Laser flash photolysis of para-substituted 3-chloro-3-benzyldiazirines in isooctane produces the corresponding carbenes, which react with pyridine to form ylides or undergo 1,2-H migration to form the (Z)- and (E)-β-chlorostyrenes. The rate for the 1,2-H migration is determined by plotting the pseudo-first-order rate constants for the growth of the ylide vs [pyridine] and extrapolating to zero pyridine concentration. In the case of (p-chlorobenzyl)chlorocarbene, the carbene decay can be monitored directly at 310 nm, whereas in [p-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl]chlorocarbene, the 285-nm trace may be analyzed as the sum of the absorption of the carbene and of the product β-chlorostyrenes. A Hammett plot of the logarithms of the rate constants for 1,2-H migration vs σ_p values gave a ρ value of -1.0, consistent with a hydride-like 1,2-H shift to the carbene center. The rate constants for the cyclopropanation of carbenes with tetramethylethylene (TME) were determined. In particular, the cyclopropanation of (p-chlorobenzyl)chlorocarbene with TME gave a negative activation energy of -4.7 kcal mol^-1.