Ester unimolecular decomposition

If the reaction is stopped before completion, the relative amounts of IV formed are greatly decreased. This suggests to us that the initial ozonation product has several modes of decomposition available, and that reaction with Feist s ester (or tetracyanoethylene) is more rapid than unimolecular decomposition. 

This analytical mode has a resolution sufficient for the fragment ions. For instance, the B/E linked scan spectrum of the unimolecular decomposition of the MH ion (m/z 259) of biotin methyl ester, produced by Cl ammonia, has a good resolution (< 1 u). The m/z 221, 241 and 243 ions are due to the elimination of neutral fragments (CH3OH, HjO and CH4), which characterize Cl mass spectra (Fig. 21). 

However, less is know about the quantitative details of these processes than is the case for the alkanes. In general, unimolecular decomposition of the alkoxy radicals [e.g., CH3CH20CH(0 )CH3 in the above reaction sequence] is more rapid than for an alkane-derived radical of similar structure. The major end product of ether oxidation is quite often an ester, the analog to the carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) generated from alkane oxidation. 

The NH acidities of some sterically hindered ureas, namely the ureido esters (93), have been reported.81 The kinetics and mechanism of the alkaline hydrolysis of urea and sodium cyanate, NaCNO, have been studied at a number of temperatures.82 Urea hydrolysis follows an irreversible first-order consecutive reaction path. Tetrahedral intermediates are not involved and an elimination-addition mechanism operates. Sodium cyanate follows irreversible pseudo-first-order kinetics. The decomposition of the carcinogen /V-mcthyl-/V-nitrosourca (19) was dealt with earlier.19 The pyrolysis of /V-acctylurca goes by a unimolecular first-order elimination reaction.83... 

The kinetics and mechanisms of gas-phase elimination of ethyl 1-piperidinecarboxyl-ate, ethyl pipecolinate, and ethyl 1-methylpipecolinate has been determined in a static reaction system.9 The reactions proved to be homogeneous, unimolecular, and obey a first-order rate law. The first step of decomposition of these esters is the formation of the corresponding carboxylic acids and ethylene. The acid intermediate undergoes a very fast decarboxylation process. The mechanism of these elimination reactions has been suggested on the basis of the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. 

This ester resembles its methyl homologue in possessing three modes of decomposition [131]. It also supports a self-decomposition flame, the multiple reaction zones of which are clearly separated at low pressures [122, 123, 125]. Temperature and composition profiles in the low-pressure decomposition flame have been measured [133]. The products include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and ethanol with smaller amounts of methane and nitromethane. The activation energy derived from the variation of flame speed with final flame temperature was 38 kcal. mole", close to the dissociation energy of the RO—NO2 bond. The controlling reaction is believed to be unimolecular in its low pressure regime, and the rate coefficient calculated from the heat-release profile is... 

II. Unimolecular Acid-Catalyzed Reactions Involving Acyl-Oxygen Fission. At least one instance is known in which decomposition of the protonated complex does not seem to depend upon the attack of water or an alcohol molecule. It is the formation or hydrolysis of esters of 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoic acid in sulfuric acid solution. Since cryoscopic studies have shown that the acid gives a molar freezing point depression of four (p. 39), and the ester five (p. 225), we must conclude that decomposition of the protonated complex to the acyl carbonium ion 0... 

The efficient decomposition of hydroperoxides by a non-radical pathway can greatly increase the stabilizing efficiency of a chain-breaking antioxidant. This generally occurs by an ionic reaction mechanism. Typical additives are sulfur compounds and phosphite esters. These are able to compete with the decomposition reactions (either unimolecular or bimolecular) that produce the reactive alkoxy, hydroxy and peroxy radicals and reduce the peroxide to the alcohol. This is shown in the first reaction in Scheme 1.69 for the behaviour of a triaryl phosphite, P(OAr)3 in reducing ROOH to ROH while itself being oxidized to the phosphate. 

No examples of catalysis of unimolecular elimination from halides or esters have been reported. Fades and Stimson (1962) have shown that t-butyl chloride undergoes elimination in the gas-phase at a rate independent of the partial pressure of added sulphur hexafluoride, a substance known to accelerate certain decompositions (Bose and Hinshelwood, 1959). However, the pyrolysis of alcohols, first studied by Kistiakowsky and Schultz (1934) is accelerated by the presence of hydrogen halides (Maccoll and Stimson, 1960). The former authors showed that t-butyl alcohol decomposed homogeneously to yield isobutene and water, at a rate given by... 

The gas-phase elimination kinetics of several ethyl esters of 2-oxocarboxylic acid have been found to be homogeneous, unimolecular, and follow a first-order rate law. ° Ethyl oxalyl chloride undergoes only decarboxylation, while both ethyl piperidinegly-oxilate and ethyl benzoyl formate exhibit parallel decarboxylation and decarbonylation reactions. The mechanisms of these decomposition reactions were described in terms of concerted discrete polar cyclic TS structures. 

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