Ba. Horenstein et M. Bruner, THE N-ACETYL NEURAMINYL OXOCARBENIUM ION IS AN INTERMEDIATE IN THE PRESENCE OF ANIONIC NUCLEOPHILES, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 120(7), 1998, pp. 1357-1362
Solvolysis of CMP N-acetyl neuraminate (CMP-NeuAc) in 1.8 M acetate bu
ffer at pH 5 containing 0.9 M azide results in the formation of both a
nomers of 2-deoxy-2-azido N-acetyl neuraminic acid in addition to N-ac
etyl neuraminic acid as determined by H-1-NMR product analysis. A rate
dependence on [azide] was observed with an apparent bimolecular rate
constant of (2.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(-3) M-1 min(-1) which could only accoun
t for half of the azido-NeuAc formed. Comparison of rate, product rati
o, and stereochemical data indicate that concurrent pathways for forma
tion of N-3-NeuAc are operative, with 17% of product forming from reac
tion of azide and the tight ion pair, 12% via the solvent separated io
n pair, and 6% from the free NeuAc oxocarbenium ion. From the correcte
d product ratio data, the lifetime of the oxocarbenium ion was estimat
ed to be greater than or equal to 3 x 10(-11) s. Solvolysis of CMP-Neu
Ac at pL = 5.0 afforded an observed solvent deuterium isotope effect (
SDIE) k(H2O)/k(D2O) = 0.45, consistent with specific acid catalysis of
glycosidic bond cleavage. A SDIE of 0.66 for the apparent bimolecular
azide trapping pathway was also observed. An apparent isotope effect
of similar to 1.1 for trapping of the N-acetyl neuraminyl oxocarbenium
ion by water was determined by product analysis of azide trapping in
H2O and D2O. An ab initio transition state for attack of water on an N
-acetyl neuraminyl oxocarbenium ion model was located which featured a
hydrogen bond between the oxocarbenium ion carboxylate and water; pro
ton transfer was not part of the reaction coordinate. It is proposed t
hat the N-acetyl neuraminate carboxylate group stabilizes an intermedi
ate oxocarbenium ion, but the barrier for capture by water is lowered
by a transition state hydrogen bond.