DECOMPOSITION OF AZOMETHANE

Review

Overall Reaction	AZO → C2H6 + N2
Experimental Rate Law (at low [AZO])	+d[N2]/dt = ka[AZO]2
Proposed Mechanism
Overall Rate of Production of (Azomethane)*	d[AZO*]/dt = + k1[AZO]2 - k-1[AZO][AZO*] - k2[AZO*]
Overall Rate of Production of Nitrogen	d[N2]/dt = +k2[AZO*]
Steady State Approximation	d[AZO*]/dt = 0

Obtaining the Steady State Concentration of (Azomethane)* - Step 1

Applying the SSA to the rate of change of concentration of (azomethane)*, i.e. setting d[AZO*]/dt = 0, leads to the following expression:

0 = k₁[AZO]² - k_-1[AZO][AZO*] - k₂[AZO*]

The first step in doing this is to move all terms that include [AZO*] to the left hand side of the equation.

This results in the following expression

- k_-1[AZO][AZO*] - k₂[AZO*] = k₁[AZO]²

- k_-1[AZO][AZO*] - k₂[AZO*] = k₁[AZO]²

- k_-1[AZO][AZO*] + k₂[AZO*] = k₁[AZO]²

+ k_-1[AZO][AZO*] - k₂[AZO*] = k₁[AZO]²

+ k_-1[AZO][AZO*] + k₂[AZO*] = k₁[AZO]²