A computational study on the kinetics and mechanism for the unimolecular decomposition of o-nitrotoluene.

The kinetics and mechanism for the unimolecular decomposition of o-nitrotoluene (o-CH(3)C(6)H(4)NO(2)) have been studied computationally at the G2M(RCC, MP2)//B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) level of theory in conjunction with rate constant predictions with RRKM and TST calculations. The results of the calculations reveal 10 decomposition channels for o-nitrotoluene and its six isomeric intermediates, among them four channels give major products: CH(3)C(6)H(4) + NO(2), C(6)H(4)C(H)ON (anthranil) + H(2)O, CH(3)C(6)H(4)O (o-methyl phenoxy) + NO, and C(6)H(4)C(H(2))NO + OH. The predicted rate constants in the 500-2000 K temperature range indicate that anthranil production, taking place initially by intramolecular H-abstraction from the CH(3) group by NO(2) followed by five-membered ring formation and dehydration, dominates at temperatures below 1000 K, whereas NO(2) elimination becomes predominant above 1100 K and CH(3)C(6)H(4)O formation by the nitro-nitrite isomerization/decomposition process accounts for only 5-11% of the total product yield in the middle temperature range 800-1300 K. The branching ratio for CH(2)C(6)H(4)NO formation by the decomposition process of CH(2)C(6)H(4)N(O)OH is negligible. The predicted high-pressure-limit rate constants with the rate expression of 4.10 x 10(17) exp[-37000/T] s(-1) for the NO(2) elimination channel and 9.09 x 10(12) exp[-25800/T] s(-1) for the H(2)O elimination channel generally agree reasonably with available experimental data. The predicted high-pressure-limit rate constants for the NO and OH elimination channels are represented as 1.49 x 10(14) exp[-30000/T] and 1.31 x 10(15) exp[-38000/T] s(-1), respectively.