The Homogeneous Unimolecular Decomposition of Gaseous Alkyl Nitrites VI. The Decomposition of n-Butyl Nitrite

Abstract
The decomposition of n‐butyl nitrite has been investigated from 5 to 40 cm pressure in the temperature range 170 to 212°C. The reaction is homogeneous and first order. The mechanism is, in the main, the same as with the lower members of the series. The reaction is, however, complicated by the formation of condensation products and the results are therefore less accurate than those obtained with the lower members of the series. The activation energy is approximately the same as those of the other nitrites. The velocity constant at 189.9°C is 8.88×10—4 sec.—1, as compared with 0.97 for methyl, 1.89 for ethyl, and 3.95 for n‐propyl nitrite.