CONDITIONS FOR THE PHOTOCHEMICAL NITRATION OF BENZENE

Abstract

The reaction of benzene and nitrogen dioxide to produce nitrobenzene has been studied in the liquid and gas phases, in the dark, and with irradiation by light of 439 mμ and of 366 mμ. The concentration of NO2 in the liquid was varied from 0.08 to 1.6 moles/1 and in the gas from 0.0035 to 0.053 moles/1. No nitrobenzene was produced under any conditions in the liquid phase. Nitrobenzene is produced in the gas phase at high NO2 concentrations with irradiation by 366 mμ light. The quantum yield is 0.2. At 439 mμ the quantum yield is not more than 0.02. There is a very small dark reaction. As the concentration of NO2 in the gas is reduced the yield of nitrobenzene falls off very rapidly and is zero at the lowest concentration used, both in dark and light.