Thermal decomposition of gem-dinitroethylnitramines

Thermal decomposition of C,N-disubstituted gem-dinitroethylnitramines in dilute solutions in inert solvents is a first-order reaction and it is unaffected by the polarity of the solvent. The rate constant is largely controlled by the steric effect of the substituent at the carbon atom bearing gem-nitro groups. A correlation is found between the rate constant and the steric constant E_s of the substituent. This correlation permits prediction not only of thermal stability of yet unexplored compounds, but also of change of the decomposition mechanism.Translated from Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, Vol. 74, No. 10, 2004, pp. 1669–1673.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Stepanov, Kruglyakova, Astakhov.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.