Reactions of Aryl 5-substituted-2-Thiophenecarboxylates Promoted by 4-Z-C6H4O−/4-Z-C6H4OH in 20 mol % DMSO(aq). Effect of Nucleophile on Acyl-Transfer Reaction

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of 5-XC4H2 (S)C(O)OC6H3 -2-Y-4-NO2 (1) promoted by 4-Z-C6H4O −/4-Z-C6H4OH in 20 mol % dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)(aq) have been studied kinetically. The reactions exhibited second-order kinetics with βacyl = −2.52 to −2.83, ρ(x) = 2.81–3.16, βnuc = 0.88–0.04 and βlg = −0.94, respectively. The results have been interpreted with an addition–elimination mechanism in which the nucleophilic attack occurs in the rate-determining step. Comparison with existing data reveals that the rate-determining step changes from the second to the first step by the change in the nucleophile from R2NH/R2NH2 + to 4-Z-C6H4O −/4-Z-C6H4OH.