Kinetics and mechanism of the decomposition of a-phenylalkanesulfonyl chlorides [a- toluenesulfonyl chloride, TSC, and a-phenyl-P-(methanesulfony1) ethanesulfonyl chloride, PMC] were studied. It was found that the rate of decomposition increased with increasing polarity of solvent or addition of LiCl, but the rate was not affected by addition of radical inhibitors. An ionic chain mechanism involving a heterolytic scission of a C-S02 bond was ...
