Reduction of 4‑Styrylpyridine by SmI₂: An Inner Sphere Electron Tranfer Case Where the Binding Site Differs from the Reaction Center

Abstract

In the reduction of 4-styrylpyridine by SmI₂, the binding site for SmI₂ differs from the reaction center. MeOH and TFE exhibit an unprecedented behavior showing a sigmoidic effect on the reaction rate, which levels off around 0.5–1 M. The reactions display autocatalytic behavior and a U shape dependence of the reaction rate on the HMPA concentration. With high likelihood, the reactions involve a proton coupled electron transfer step