Thermal Decomposition of Diphenyl Tetroxane in Chlorobenzene Solution

The thermal decomposition of Cyclic Diperoxide of Benzaldehyde 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-tetroxane, (DFT) in chlorobenzene solution in the studied temperature range (130°C - 166°C) satisfactorily satisfies a first order law up to 60% conversions of diperoxide. DFT would decompose through a mechanism in stages and initiated by the homolytic breakdown of one of the peroxidic bonds of the molecule, with the formation of the corresponding intermediate biradical. The concentration studied was very low, so that the effects of secondary reactions of decomposition induced by free radicals originated in the reaction medium can be considered minimal or negligible. The activation parameters for the unimolecular thermal decomposition reaction of the DFT are ΔH# = 30.52 ± 0.3 kcal·mol-1 and ΔS# = -6.38 ± 0.6 cal·mol-1 K-1. The support for a step-by-step mechanism instead of a process concerted is made by comparison with the theoretically calculated activation energy for the thermal decomposition of 1,2,4,5-tetroxane.