Electronic effects of icosahedral carboranes: mechanistic alteration in solvolysis of α-(o-carboranyl)benzyl tosylates by electronic effect of substituents

Solvolysis of α-(o- and m-carboranyl)benzyl toluene-p-sulfonates bearing a range of substituents at the 3- or 4-position of the benzyl group has been investigated. The rates of hydrolysis of m-carboranyl derivatives increased linearly with increasing electron-releasing character of the substituent group (ρ=−5.37 correlated to σ+), which indicates that the hydrolysis proceeds through a typical SN1 process. In contrast, the hydrolysis rates of the o-carboranyl derivatives with a wide range of electron-withdrawing substituents did not show significant change, but suddenly began to show a linear increase with increasing electron-releasing character of the substituents (ρ=−5.91 correlated to σ+). Moreover, the optical purity of the retentive hydrolysis of the o-carboranyl derivatives rapidly declined with increasing electron-donating effects of the substituents. This indicates that the mechanism of the hydrolysis changes from the retentive mechanism to an SN1 mechanism.