Betrekkingen tusschen de constitutie van organische verbindingen en den invloed van het hydroxyl-ion bij hydrolyse

Rates of saponification ofα-chlorotoluene,αα-dichlorotoluene andα,α,αtrichlorotoluene and of their ortho, meta, and para isomers of halogen, nitro methyl and carboxylic derivatives in neutral, alkaline or acid medium were measured. The velocity of the hydrolysis in the different ranges of pH could be correlated with the effect of substituents present in the aromatic compounds and with the character of the catalysts involved in the reactions. The results obtained when saponifying in basic medium could be reasonably
explained by the 'alternating polarity effect' (valid at that time) and by assuming a general electron shift in the direction of the negative substituent.