The secondary α-deuterium kinetic isotope effect has been measured for the thermal reaction of 2-phenylethyldimethylamine oxide in 90 mol% DMSO-H2O at 60.0° C. A large secondary α-deuterium isotope effect of 1.158 per α-D was found, which indicates significant bond rupture and very little double bond formation at the transition state for this concerted syn-elimination process. The observed large normal value for (k H/k D) α is discussed in ...
