The effect of pressure on the thermal decomposition of nitroalkanes catalyzed by amines

Abstract Solutions of 1° and 2° nitroalkanes were thermolyzed in the presence of amines at hydrostatic pressures up to 1.5 GPa, and their rates of decomposition were measured. The probable mechanism of base catalyzed decomposition involves a bimolecular reaction of the aci-nitroalkane with the nitronate ion to yield a carbonyl compound, its corresponding oxime, and nitrite ion as the early rate determining steps. In the case of nitroethane, the products react further to give 3,4,5-trimethylisoxazole as a major product above 0.4 GPa. The effects of pressure on the rates of decomposition of nonacidic nitroalkanes, 2,2-dinitropropane and 2-methyl-2-nitropropane, were measured and used to infer the rate-controlling steps. 2,2-Dini-tropropane appears to undergo rearrangement to a nitrite, followed by homolysis to give acetone, NO and NO2. 2-Methyl-2-nitropropane gives mostly isobutylene and HONO, probably via a 5-membered cyclic transition state.