Nitrobenzene decomposition azides

Coleman, Newman, and Garrett have kinetically investigated the decomposition of benzoyl azide in benzene and nitrobenzene solution with halides as Lewis adds.1 7 They grouped the halides into three classes based on the kinetic equation involved ... 

The decomposition is first order in nitrobenzene and tetrahydronaphthalene and the Arrhenius parameters obtained with various solvents for phenyl azide and some derivatives are collected in Table 16. As seen from the data, meta substitution has no efiect on the rate, and it was concluded that the rate-determining step is N2 evolution and not ring closure to form azepines (in aniline solution). In indene, Smith observed that para substituents increased the rate of Nj evolution by about eight times however, with both meta and para substituents the amine yields varied widely and in some cases the Nj yields were not quantitative with respect to the amount of azide decomposed. Benzenes and substituted benzenes have been observed in small amounts and it appears that a minor decomposition pathway would involve azide radical loss . On the other hand, Waters reports that the thermolysis of phenyl azides proceeds by different mechanisms, depending on the medium ... 

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