摘要:
                                The reactions of 4-(4'-nitrophenyl)-4-X-butan-2-one (1-X; X = Cl, OTs) with added bases/nucleophiles exhibit second-order kinetics. These substitution and elimination reactions are concluded to be of concerted S(N)2 type and irreversible E1cB type, respectively. The spontaneous formation of alkene from the chloride L-CI is suggested to occur by a water-promoted E1cB reaction. The fraction of elimination product is smaller with the tosylate 1-OTs. It is plausible that the elimination and substitution reactions of 1-OTs are carbocation reactions since the Bronsted plot with substituted acetate anion bases shows a tenfold positive deviation for the 'water-catalyzed' elimination reaction, and there is a trace of substitution reaction with the acetonitrile component of the solvent yielding 1-NHCOMe. These results are consistent with a common, very short-lived, carbocation intermediate. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.