Reactions that generate aromatic molecules: is aromatic stabilization less or more advanced than bond changes at the transition state? Kinetic and thermodynamic acidities of rhenium carbene complexes.

A kinetic study of the reversible deprotonation of the rhenium carbene complexes 1H(+)(O), 1H(+)(S) and 2H(+)(O) by carboxylate ions, primary aliphatic and secondary alicyclic amines, water and OH(-) in 50% MeCN-50% water (v/v) at 25 degrees C is reported. These carbene complexes are of special interest because in their deprotonated form they represent derivatives of the aromatic heterocycles furan, thiophene and benzofuran. Intrinsic rate constants (k(o) for Delta G degrees = 0) determined from appropriate Brønsted plots for these rhenium carbene complexes and for the corresponding selenophene (1H(+)(Se)) and benzothiophene (2H(+)(S)) derivatives investigated earlier follow the orders furan < selenophene < thiophene and benzofuran less, similar benzothiophene. These orders indicate that an increase in aromaticity leads to an increase in the intrinsic rate constant or a decrease in the intrinsic barrier. This is an unexpected result; it implies that, in contrast to common resonance effects, the development of aromaticity at the transition state is ahead of proton transfer, i.e., the percentage development of the aromatic stabilization energy at the transition state is higher than the percentage of proton transfer.