Nucleophilic addition of amines to the activated ethylene bond in non-aqueous media

The kinetics of addition of a number of primary and secondary aliphatic amines to trans-(2-furyl) nitro ethylene (1) has been studied in solvents of various polarities (from acetonitrile, ε 37.5, to heptane, ε 1.89). It has been shown that the reaction is catalysed both by the amine reagent and by tertiary amines. On the basis of analyzing the observed kinetic regularities a stepwise reaction mechanism has been proposed which involves formation of zwitterionic intermediate (3) at the first equilibrium step (k1, K1) which is then converted into the reaction product by means of proton transfer in parallel routes, the non-catalytic one (k2) and that catalysed by the initial (K3) or tertiary (K4) amine. The observed high values of the deuterium isotope effects in the reaction (KH/KD ∼ 2.3 - 8.9) confirm that proton transfer occurs in the rate-limiting step of the reaction (primary kinetic isotope effect). The third order by amine kinetic route is observed in low polar media which is due to participation of amine dimers (R2 NH HNR2) in the reaction. The observed kinetic regularities are compared with those for the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions in low-polar media, and the conclusion has been made that the reaction route of the third order by amine proceeds as reversible nucleophilic attack by amine dimer and following base-catalysed transformation of the intermediate into the product. (author)