Nucleophile assistance of electron-transfer reactions between nitrogen dioxide and chlorine dioxide concurrent with the nitrogen dioxide disproportionation.

The reaction of chlorine dioxide with excess NO(2)(-) to form ClO(2)(-) and NO(3)(-) in the presence of a large concentration of ClO(2)(-) is followed via stopped-flow spectroscopy. Concentrations are set to establish a preequilibrium among ClO(2), NO(2)(-), ClO(2)(-), and an intermediate, NO(2). Studies are conducted at pH 12.0 to avoid complications due to the ClO(2)(-)/NO(2)(-) reaction. These conditions enable the kinetic study of the ClO(2) reaction with nitrogen dioxide as well as the NO(2) disproportionation reaction. The rate of the NO(2)/ClO(2) electron-transfer reaction is accelerated by different nucleophiles (NO(2)(-) > Br(-) > OH(-) > CO(3)(2-) > PO(4)(3-) > ClO(2)(-) > H(2)O). The third-order rate constants for the nucleophile-assisted reactions between NO(2) and ClO(2) (k(Nu), M(-2) s(-1)) at 25.0 degrees C vary from 4.4 x 10(6) for NO(2-) to 2.0 x 10(3) when H(2)O is the nucleophile. The nucleophile is found to associate with NO(2) and not with ClO(2) in the rate-determining step to give NuNO(2)(+) + ClO(2)(-). The concurrent NO(2) disproportionation reaction exhibits no nucleophilic effect and has a rate constant of 4.8 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1). The ClO(2)/NO(2)/nucleophile reaction is another example of a system that exhibits general nucleophilic acceleration of electron transfer. This system also represents an alternative way to study the rate of NO(2) disproportionation.