Alkaline Hydrolysis of N-Methyl-2,4-dinitroacetanilide and N-Alkyl-N-(5-nitro-2-pyridyl)acetamides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.60.3597

The kinetics of the alkaline hydrolysis of N-methyl-2,4-dinitroacetanilide (2), N-ethyl- (3), and N-methyl-N-(5-nitro-2-pyridyl)acetamide (4) was carried out.The reaction path consists of two stages: the first one is the rate-limiting formation of the first tetrahedral intermediate (monoanionic) and the second one the fast decomposition of the intermediate.The latter fast decomposition of the intermediate (monoanionic) involves two processes: one is the direct decomposition of the intermediate to the products and the other is a proton abstraction of the hydroxyl group of the intermediate by ^-OH giving the second tetrahedral intermediate (dianionic), followed by its deconposition to the products.For the alkaline hydrolysis of 2-4, the decomposition of the first intermediate occurred predominantly via the latter process.