The gas-phase pyrolysis of alkyl nitrites VI. t-Amyl nitrite

The rate of decomposition of tert-amyl nitrite (t-AmONO) has been studied in the absence (120°–155°C) and presence (160°–190°C) of nitric oxide. In the absence of nitric oxide for low concentrations of tert-amyl nitrite (～10^?4M) and small extents of reaction (～1%), the first-order homogeneous rates of acetone formation are a direct measure of reaction (1) since k_3a ? k₂(NO): The rate of acetone formation is unaffected by the addition of large amounts of carbon tetrafluoride or isobutane (～1 atm) but is completely suppressed by large amounts of nitric oxide (1 atm 120°–155°C). The rate of reaction (1) is given by k₁ = 10^16.3±0.1 10^?40.3±0.1/θ sec^?1. Since (E₁ + RT) and ΔH°₁ are identical, both may be equated with D(t-AmO – NO) = 40.9 ± 0.1 kcal/mol and E₂ = 0 ± 0.1 kcal/mol. The thermochemistry leads to the result that ΔH°_f (t-AmO) = ?26.6 ± 1 kcal/mol. From ΔS°₁ and A₁, k₂ is calculated to be 10^10.5±^0.2 M^?1·sec^?1. Although the addition of nitric oxide completely suppresses acetone formation at lower temperatures, it reappears at higher temperatures. This is a result of reaction (3a) now competing with reaction (2), thus allowing k_3a to be determined. The rate constant for reaction (3a) is given by k_3a = 10^{14.7 ± 0.2} 10^{?14.3 ± 1}/θ sec^?1. There are two possible routes for the decomposition of the tert-amyloxyl radical: The dominating process is (3a). From the result at 160°C that k_3a/k_3b = 80, we arrive at the result k_3b = 10^15.0–18.7/θ sec^?1. In addition to the products accounted for by the radical split (1), methyl-2-but-1-ene and methyl-2-but-2-ene are produced as a result of the six-centre elimination of nitrous acid (5): The ratio k_5a/k_5b was 0.35. Unlike tert-butyl where the rates of the two paths were comparable (l) and (5)], here the total rate of the elimination process was only 0.5% that of the radical split (1). The reason for this is not clear.