Abstract: Maleamic acids derived from aliphatic amines of a wide range of basicity (compounds 1-8) undergo hydrolysis in solutions of acidity between IO4 M and 1 M hydrogen ion concentration by a mechanism involving participation of the carboxyl group at the adjacent amide. Kinetic analysis of the reaction (50" C) reveals that the identity of the rate-determining step (or steps) is a function of both the basicity of the leaving group and ...
