Hydrogen Isotope Exchange between Aromatic Molecules and Aqueous Acids
THE hydrogen isotope exchange between an aromatic compound and aqueous acid without the intervention of heterogeneous catalysts can be regarded as an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction1. It is also known qualitatively that the kinetic efficiency of the acid increases with its strength2. We have now examined quantitatively the nature of this dependence upon acidity in homogeneous solution at 25° and have drawn some more specific conclusions about the mechanism of the reaction.