Deuterium Isotope Effect on the Rate of Ligand Exchange between Tetrakis(acetylacetonato)thorium(IV) and Free Acetylacetone in CD3CN

A deuterium isotope effect on the rate of acetylacetonate exchange between tetrakis(acetylacetonato)thorium(IV), Th(acac)4, and free acetylacetone in CD3CN has been examined by means of 1H NMR technique. The second-order rate constant, k, which is expressed as a function of the observed first-order rate constant, kobsd, and the concentration of acetylacetone in the enol form, [acetylacetone]enol, by k=kobsd/[acetylacetone]enol was determined for the reaction of deuterated acetylacetone, Dacac, as well as undeuterated acetylacetone, Hacac. The ratio of second-order rate constants for Hacac and Dacac, kH⁄kD, was approximately 9. This large deuterium isotope effect strongly supports a mechanism proposed in a previous paper that the proton transfer process is the rate determining step of the whole reaction.