Kinetic studies of reactions of the stannyl anion with primary alkyl halides by a stopped-flow technique

The decay of thr tributylstannyl anion in the presence of primary butyl halides was measured directly with a modified stopped-how apparatus for the first time. The resulting rate constants of the stannyl anion were much larger than those calculated as an electron transfer reaction by the Hush-Marcus theory. It is suggested that the stannyl anion reacts with primary halides as a nucleophile rather than as an electron-donor. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.