The kinetics of the uncatalyzed reaction of an industrially important 50/50blend of isomers of 4,4·-diphenylmethane-diisocyanate (4,4-MDI) and 2,4·-diphenylmethane-diisocyanate (2,4·-MDI) with primary and secondary alcohols was studied using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector. The alcoholssuch as 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-hexanol, 2-hexanol, 3-hexanol, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, and3-methoxy-1-propanol were used in high molar excess to diisocyanate in toluene at 80?C, andpseudo?first-order dependences on the concentrations of 4,4·-MDI and 2,4·-MDI were found.Appropriate treatments of the kinetic data allowed us to determine the corresponding pseudo?first-order rate constants. According to the kinetic results, the reactivity of the isocyanate groupin the para-position is about four to six times higher than that of the ortho-positioned iso-cyanate group, depending on the reacting alcohol. Furthermore, the substitution effect, i.e.,change in the reactivity of the free isocyanate group after the other has been reacted, was foundfor both 4,4·-MDI and 2,4·-MDI isomers. The differences in the reactivities of the isocyanategroups of 2,4·-MDI and 4,4·-MDI isomers before and after one of two isocyanate groups hasbeen reacted are explained in terms of partial positive charges on the corresponding carbonylcarbon atom calculated by high-level quantum chemical calculations. In addition, the UV-spectral properties of the products obtained by quenching the reactionmixture with methanol are also discussed in light of practical implications.
