Mechanism of the reaction of sarin with methanol in the presence of amines

Abstract

In pyridine or 2-methyl-2-propanol solution, the kinetics of the reaction of sarin with methanol in the presence of amines to produce the ester, methyl isopropyl methylphosphonate, is shown to be of first order with respect to each of the three components. By varying the amine it was deduced that the amine acts as a general base catalyst but the catalysis is subject to large steric effects.