Equilibrium and rate constants have been determined for the acid-catalyzed
heterolysis of two alcohols, 9-xanthydrol and p-anisyldiphenylmethanol, and
two sulfides, (9-xanthyl) methyl sulfide and (7-tropyl) methyl sulfide. Th
ese data together with literature information are compared with rate consta
nts for acid-catalyzed C-C heterolysis of several (9-xanthyl) compounds, (7
-tropyl) compounds, a set of 3-arylcyclobutanones, and two 2-arylnitrocyclo
propanes, all of which fragment to carbocations plus a carbon-centered nucl
eofuge. The fragmentation mechanisms are shown to be Al or Al(ion pair) exc
ept for the 2-arylnitrocyclopropanes which cleave in trifluoroacetic acid b
y a concerted mechanism. Rate comparisons among several unstrained substrat
e sets indicate that O-centered nucleofuges undergo acid-catalyzed heteroly
sis ca. 10(3)-10(4) faster than S-centered nucleofuges and ca. 10(9)-10(14)
faster than the C-centered nucleofuges used here. Factors assisting C-C he
terolysis (and their effectiveness) include the acidity of the medium (stro
ng); the basicity and nucleofugality of the nucleofuge (moderate); the stab
ility of the electrofugic carbocation (strong); and relief of ring strain (
enormous). Compared with acyclic cleavages, rate accelerations worth ca. 15
kcal/mol (for cyclobutanones) and ca. 27 kcal/mol (for nitrocyclopropanes)
are found. These effects are discussed in terms of transition-state struct
ure, aided by computational evidence.