Kinetic deuterium isotope effects on the reactions of 2-(4-methoxyphenyl) oxirane in water solutions

The rates of reaction of 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)oxirane (4-methoxystyrene oxide), trans-3-deutereo-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)oxirane and 3,3-dideutereo-2-(4- methoxyphenyl)oxirane in water solutions were measured as functions of pH. Kinetic deuterium isotope effects for the reactions of the mono- and di-deuterated (4-methoxyphenyl)oxiranes were determined for both the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis to diols and the pH-independent reactions leading mostly to rearranged aldehyde and involving a 1,2-hydrogen migration. The inverse kinetic deuterium isotopes for acid-catalyzed hydrolyses of the deuterated (4-methoxyphenyl)oxiranes to diols are consistent with rate-limiting epoxide ring opening. The magnitudes of the normal kinetic deuterium isotope effects on the pH-independent reactions of deuterated 4-methoxyphenyloxiranes are significantly smaller than the deuterium isotope effect on the aldehyde-forming step, and are rationalized by a reversible epoxide ring opening step that is partially rate-limiting. The magnitude of the partitioning isotope effect on the hydrogen migration step is consistent with isotope effects determined by Professor Coxon's laboratory on the Lewis acid-catalyzed rearrangements of deuterated phenyloxiranes in organic solvents.