urbaf2

(Michael S) #1
114 CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF EXPLOSIVES

(55e)

or (2)


(55d)

and

(55f)

The mononitrophenol formed either by the reaction (55e) or by reaction (55f) is,
then further nitrated to dinitro- and trinitro-phenols if the concentration of nitric
acid is sufficiently high.
Westheimer’s formulation of the mechanism of the reaction appears to be the

most accurate of all the attempts to elucidate the mechanism of “oxynitration”.


Laptev [131] suggested a mechanism based on reactions (55/1) and (55/2),
followed by formation of p- hydroxyphenylhydroxylamine :

(56)

If nitric acid does not contain nitrogen oxides, a reversible decomposition of
the organo-mercuric compound can take place, as has been shown by Baryshni-
kova and Titov [139]:

Ar-HgNO 3 + HNO 3 -> Ar-H + Hg(NO 3 ) 2

At a sufficient concentration of nitric acid, mercury is replaced by the nitro

Free download pdf