The relative effects of methyl substitution on the rates of hydrolysis of benzyl nitrates in water showed but small differences from earlier reports involving the displacement of Cl-in mixed solvents. The values of the α-deuterium isotope effects for the hydrolysis of the 2, 4-and 2, 6- dimethyl homologs were similar to that for the p-methylbenzyl nitrate suggesting an approach to limiting hybridization in each case. In spite of this similarity, there was a large ...
