The effect of various degrees of alkyl substitution on the relative rates of deprotonation from the two distinct sites in several unsymmetrical ketones in the gas phase is examined. The infrared multiple photon activation of an appropriately deuterium-labeled alkoxide ion generates the ion-molecule complex for the half-reaction of the bimolecular proton transfer process between an alkyl anion and an unsymmetrical ketone with one deprotonation site ...
[Bowen, Richard D.; Colburn, Alex W.; Derrick, Peter J. Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 2: Physical Organic Chemistry (1972-1999), 1991 , # 1 p. 147 - 151]
