Gas phase chemical equilibrium in dinitrogen trioxide and dinitrogen tetroxide

The ideal gas chemical thermodynamic properties for NO, NO₂, N₂O₃, and N₂O₄ for the temperature range 50 to 5000 K were evaluated by the statistical thermodynamic method using the most recent molecular parameters. In the calculations for NO and NO₂, the effects of anharmonicity and vibration—rotation interaction were included. The contributions due to centrifugal distortion were also included for NO₂. For evaluation of the thermodynamic properties for N₂O₃ and N₂O₄ molecules, the rigid-rotor and harmonic-oscillator model were adopted. A free internal rotation was assumed for N₂O₃ and an internal rotation barrier height (V₂) of 1.58 kcal mol⁻¹ was derived for N₂O₄. The thermodynamic properties due to hindered internal rotation were clculated using a partition function formed by summation of internal rotation energy levels. The thermodynamic properties for two equilibrium mixtures: NO₂---N₂O₄ and N₂O₃---NO---NO₂---N₂O₄ were also calculated. The effects of temperature and pressure on heat capacities and compositions of these two mixtures are illustrated graphically and the calculated heat capacities and equilibrim constants are in good agreement with available experimental values.