Kinetics and Mechanism of the Pyridinolysis of O,O-Dimethyl S-Aryl Phosphorothioates in Dimethyl Sulfoxide

Kinetic studies for the reactions of O,O-dimethyl Z-S-aryl phosphorothioates with X-pyridines have been carried out in dimethyl sulfoxide at 85.0 $^{\circ}C$. The Hammett and Br$\"{o}$nsted plots for substituent X variations in the nucleophiles are biphasic concave upwards with a break point at X = H, while those for substituent Z variations in the leaving groups are linear. The negative sign of the cross-interaction constant (${\rho}_{XZ}$) implies that the reaction proceeds through a concerted mechanism for both the strongly and weakly basic pyridines. The magnitude of ${\rho}_{XZ}$ (= -0.35) for the strongly basic pyridines is greater than that (${\rho}_{XZ}$ = -0.15) for the weakly basic pyridines, indicating a change of the nucleophilic attacking direction from frontside for the strongly basic pyridines to backside for the weakly basic pyridines. The early transition state is proposed on the basis of the absence of positive deviations from both the Hammett and Br$\"{o}$nsted plots for the strong ${\pi}$-acceptor, X = 4-Ac, and small values of ${\rho}_{XZ}$ and ${\beta}_X$.