The Nature of the Transition State in Amides Pyrolysis. The Rates of Pyrolysis of N-benzoyl and N-acetylpropanamide, N-benzoyl and N-acetyl-2-methylpropanamide, and N-thioacetylpropanamide

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/kin.550270102

The rates of gas-phase elimination reactions of N-benzoyl and N-acetyl-propanamide and N-benzoyl and N-acetyl-2-methylpropanamide are measured and discussed.They undergo unimolecular first-order elimination reactions.The reactivities of N-benzoylamides have been compared with each other and with those of N-acetylamides.The kinetic data together with the product analysis reveals that, the statistical factor of the availability of β-hydrogen atoms for elimination as well as steric factor are obscured by polar factor in gas-phase elimination reactions of N-benzoylamides while the statistical factor rather than electronic effect operates in each of N-acetylamides.