Reactions of nitrotoluenes with sodiu sulphide:Phase transfer catalysis and role of #OMEGA# phase

摘要

The reactions of nitrotoluenes (0-,m- and p-) with sodium sulphide were carried out both in the liquid-liquid and solidliquid modes with phase transfer catalyst, tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB). In the liquid-liquid mode, the reactions of all three nitrotoluenes were found to be kinetically controlled with activation energy values of 4.71 X 10~4, 5.25 X 10~4 and 3.92 X 10~4 kJ mol~(-1) with o-,m- and p-nitrotoluenes respectively as the organic substrates. In solid-liuqid mode, the reactions of o- and p-nitrotoluenes were kinetically controlled whereas that of m-nitrotoluene was found to be mass transfer controlled with an activation energy of 1.16 X 10~4 kJ mol~(-1). The effect of #OMEGA# phase on the rate of solid-liquid reaction was also studied and a maximum six-fold enhancement in rate was observed with m-nitrotoluene as the organic substrate.