Abstract.
Density functional calculations indicate that nucleophilic substitution in the thiolate–disulfide and thiolate–trisulfide exchange reactions proceeds by an addition–elimination pathway. Solution calculations were performed using B3LYP/6-31+G* and the polarized continuum method. These solution-phase calculations indicate that for the reactions where the sulfur under attack bears a hydrogen atom, the substitution proceeds via an addition–elimination mechanism; however, when a methyl group is attached to the sulfur under attack, the SN2 mechanism is predicted.
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Received: 12 October 2001 / Accepted: 28 November 2001 / Published online: 8 April 2002
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Bachrach, S., Hayes, J., Dao, T. et al. Density functional theory gas- and solution-phase study of nucleophilic substitution at di- and trisulfides. Theor Chem Acc 107, 266–271 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00214-002-0323-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00214-002-0323-4