Rates of the alkaline hydrolysis of 13 methyl arylacetates, XrCH2COOCH3, were determined in 85y0 aqueous methanol and/or in 76% aqueous acetone at four temperatures Esters in which the side chain is attached to a 1-naphthalene-like position react at considerably reduced rates, this is ascribed to steric hindrance to the approach of the reagent The rates of the unhindered compounds do not correlate well with various Huckel molecular orbital ...
