Significant and differential acceleration of dephosphorylation of the insecticides, paraoxon and parathion, caused by alkali metal ethoxides

Abstract

In the reaction of paraoxon with alkali metal ethoxides, ion-paired EtO -M + species are more reactive than the dissociated EtO - with the reactivity order EtO -Li + > EtO -Na + > EtO -K + > EtO -, while in the reaction of parathion, the reactivity follows the order EtO -K + > EtO - > EtO -Na + > EtO -Li +.