Using secondary alpha deuterium kinetic isotope effects to determine the stereochemistry of an E2 reaction; the stereochemistry of the E2 reaction of 1-chloro-2-phenylethane with potassium tert-butoxide in tert-butyl alcohol

Isotopic labelling studies have shown that the E2 reaction of 1-chloro-2-phenylethane with potassium tert-butoxide in tert-butyl alcohol occurs via an anti-periplanar stereochemistry. This demonstrates that the different secondary alpha deuterium kinetic isotope effects found for the high and low base concentrations and in the presence of 18-crown-6 ether are because of changes in transition state structure that occur when the form of the reacting base changes rather than to a change in the stereochemistry of the reaction.