Dynamics for reactions of ion pairs in aqueous solution: reactivity of tosylate anion ion paired with the highly destabilized 1‐(4‐methylphenyl)‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl carbocation

The sum of the rate constants for solvolysis and scrambling of carbon bridging and nonbridging oxygen-18 at 4-MeC(6)H(4)CH(CF(3))OS((18)O(2))Tos in 50/50 (v/v) trifluoroethanol/water, (k(solv) + k(iso)) = 5.4 × 10(-6) s(-1), is 50% larger than k(solv) = 3.6 × 10(-6) for the simple solvolysis reaction of the sulfonate ester. This shows that the ion pair intermediate of solvolysis undergoes significant internal return to form reactant. These data give a value of k(-1) = 1.7 × 10(10) s(-1) for internal return of the carbocation-anion pair to the substrate. This rate constant is larger than the value of k(-1) = 7 × 10(9) s(-1) reported for internal return of an ion pair between the 1-(4-methylphenyl)ethyl carbocation and pentafluorobenzoate anion to the neutral ester (4-MeC(6)H(4)CH(CH(3))O(2)CC(6)F(5)) in the same solvent. The partitioning of ion pairs to the 1-(4-methylphenyl)ethyl carbocation and to the highly destabilized 1-(4-methylphenyl)2,2,2-trifluoroethyl carbocation is compared and contrasted.