Comparative kinetic studies on the alkaline hydrolysis of halogen substituted isocoumarins

Authors: HAFIZ BADARUDDIN AHMAD, MUHAMMAD ASLAM MALANA, MUHAMMAD YOUSAF, MUHAMMAD REHAN, MAZHAR ABBAS, ABAIDULLAH

Abstract: Kinetics of the hydrolysis of 3-(2'-chloro-6'-fluorobenzyl) isocoumarin (1), 3-(4'-fluorophenyl)isocoumarin (3), 3-(2'- fluorophenyl)isocoumarin (5), 3-(2'-chlorophenyl)isocoumarin (7), and 3-(4'-chlorophenyl)isocoumarin (9) were studied spectrophotometrically in the presence of aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide. The rates of hydrolyses for these isocoumarins were compared. The data for isocoumarin (1) were further investigated to probe the reaction mechanism. The dependence of pseudo-first order rate constant k_{obs} on hydroxide ion concentration is fitted by the expression k_{obs} = k_o + k_1[OH] + k_2 [OH]^2, showing the formation of monoanionic and dianionic tetrahedral intermediates during the course of reaction. The magnitude of k_o shows significant participation of solvent in the reaction mechanism.

Keywords: Hydrolysis, isocoumarin, kinetics.

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