REACTION OF NUCLEOPHILES WITH ELECTRON ACCEPTORS BY SN2 OR ELECTRON TRANSFER (ET) MECHANISMS: TERT-BUTYL PEROXYBENZOATE/DIMETHYL SULFIDE AND BENZOYL PEROXIDE/N,N-DIMETHYLANILINE SYSTEMS.

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00362a016

This study is one of a series that probes the reactions of nucleophiles with peroxides, reactions that can occur either by an initial S//N2 reaction or by an electron-transfer (ET) reaction. The products and kinetics are reported for the reaction of dimethyl sulfide and a series of ring-substituted aryl methyl sulfides with tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBP) and four ring-substituted TPB's. Kinetic analysis allows the separation of the rate constants for unimolecular homolysis (k//1) and those for the decomposition of the TBP by the sulfide (k//2). The bimolecular reaction is accelerated by electron-withdrawing substituents in the TBP; for example, when 3,5-(NO//2)//2-TBP is used, k//2/k//1 is 12,000. The products that are formed are consistent with a radical process; however, this evidence is not regarded as conclusive.