DECOMPOSITION OF AZOMETHANE

Review

Overall Reaction	AZO → C2H6 + N2
Experimental Rate Law (at low [AZO])	+d[N2]/dt = ka[AZO]2
Proposed Mechanism

Rate of Production of (Azomethane)* in the First Elementary Step {(+d[AZO*]/dt)₁}

A rate expression for the production of (azomethane)* now needs to be derived from the proposed mechanism. This may, at first glance, seem to be a difficult proposition.

However, if the proposed mechanism is re-written as a series of elementary steps:

For the first elementary step

the rate of production of (azomethane)* would be

+d[AZO*]/dt = ½k₁[AZO]

+d[AZO*]/dt = k₁[AZO]

+d[AZO*]/dt = k₁[AZO]²

+d[AZO*]/dt = ½k₁[AZO][AZO*]

+d[AZO*]/dt = k₁[AZO][AZO*]