Alcoholysis rates of unhindered benzenesulfonyl chlorides (X-ArSO
2Cl, X = H-; 4-Br-; 4-Me-) are similar in methanol; the same behavior is also observed in ethanol, whereas the reactivity order in
iso-propanol is 4 Me- < H- < 4-Br-. On the other hand,
alcoholysis of sterically hindered arenesulfonyl chlorides (X-ArSO
2Cl) (X = 2,4,6-Me
3-3-NO
2-; 2,6-Me
2-4-
tBu-; 2,4,6-Me
3-; 2,3,5,6-Me
4-; 2,4,6-
iPr
3-; 2,4-Me
2-; 2,4,6-(OMe)
3-) in all studied alcohols show a significant increase in reactivity, the so-called positive steric effect.