972
NOTESVOL. 29 deuterium isotope effect, I c~~o / k m~, is, therefore, 0.45, a value similar to those found for related reactionsI4 and nearly identical with the value found by DeWolfe and Jensen for the hydrolysis of ethyl orthobenzoate.1° This solvent deuterium isotope effect is consistent with either pre-equilibrium substrate protonation or with general acid catalysis by the hydrated proton, provided that, in the transition state, the proton is largely transferred to the substrate.I5 This condition appears t o be met in the present case since Kwart and Price have observed a Br@nsted a value of 0.74 for general acid catalysis of methyl orthobenzoate hydroly~is.~ The observation that methyl orthobenzoate hydrolysis is subject to general acid catalysis9~1O suggests, but does not prove, that the specific acid-catalyzed reaction is, in fact, general acid catalysis by the hydrated proton.
ExperimentalMaterials.-Methyl orthobenzoate was prepared from benzotrichloride as previously described.16 Other reagents were recrystallized or redistilled before use. Distilled water was employed throughout.Kinetic measurements were carried out spectrophotometrically with a Zeiss PMQ I1 spectrophotometer equipped with a thermostated cell holder as previously described.l'*lB At the conclusion of several runs involving the hydrolysis df methyl orthobenzoate in the presence of hydroxylamine or semicarbazide, the amount of methyl benzoate produced was determined by the ferric chloridehydroxylamine method of Lipmann and Tuttle.19 Ionic strength was adjusted to 0.50 with potassium chloride in all kinetic runs.Measurements of pH were made with the glass electrode and a Radiometer Model P H M 4c pH meter. Values of pD were obtained from measured pH values and the relationship pD = pH + 0.40.20 This relationship was verified for our pH meter using carefully neutralized acetate buffers.Activation parameters were obtained from second-order rate constants measured at several temperatures and the Eyring equation, In k = In ekT/h + AS*/R -E,/RT.21 (11) K. Wiberg, Chem. Rev.. 6 6 , 713 (1955). (15) C. A . Bunton and V.