THE KINETICS OF THE REACTION OF ORGANIC ISOTHIOCYANATES WITH 1-OCTANOL IN o-DICHLOROBENZENE

The kinetics of the reaction of organic isothiocyanates with a large excess of 1-octanol in o-dichlorobenzene was examined at 90–140°. The rate of the reaction was first order with respect to the concentration of isothiocyanate, but the apparent second-order rate constants calculated varied according to the initial 1-octanol concentration. These facts can be explained by a reaction mechanism involving two molecules of 1-octanol in the transition state for the slow step of the reaction. The relative rate of the reaction of isothiocyanates with 1-octanol at 120° decreased in the order of benzyl, phenyl, allyl, ethyl, n-butyl, n-hexyl, isobutyl, and cyclohexyl isothiocyanate. The apparent energies of activation and log A were obtained as 13.5–16.5 kcal/mole and 4.65–6.46 (A in liter/mole min), respectively. Tributylamine had a slight catalytic effect, but dibutyltin dilaurate and ferric acetylacetonate had a strong catalytic action in these reactions.