Predicted thermochemistry and unimolecular kinetics of nitrous sulfide

Paul Marshall1, Yide Gao, Peter Glarborg

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, USA. marshall@unt.edu

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SN2 Reaction: Kinetics02:14

SN2 Reaction: Kinetics

Kinetic Studies and Significance
In a chemical reaction, a relationship exists between the concentration of reactants and the rate at which the reaction proceeds. The study to measure this relationship is known as the kinetics of a chemical reaction. Kinetic studies are used to deduce the rate law of a chemical reaction, which provides information about the species involved during the transition state of the rate-determining step. Thus, kinetic studies help to derive the mechanism of a reaction.
Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides02:26

Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides

Sulfides are the sulfur analog of ethers, just as thiols are the sulfur analog of alcohol. Like ethers, sulfides also consist of two hydrocarbon groups bonded to the central sulfur atom. Depending upon the type of groups present, sulfides can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical sulfides can be prepared via an SN2 reaction between 2 equivalents of an alkyl halide and one equivalent of sodium sulfide.
Rate-Determining Steps03:08

Rate-Determining Steps

Relating Reaction Mechanisms
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...
Preparation and Reactions of Thiols02:33

Preparation and Reactions of Thiols

Thiols are prepared using the hydrosulfide anion as a nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with alkyl halides. For instance, bromobutane reacts with sodium hydrosulfide to give butanethiol.
Free Energy Changes for Nonstandard States03:25

Free Energy Changes for Nonstandard States

The free energy change for a process taking place with reactants and products present under nonstandard conditions (pressures other than 1 bar; concentrations other than 1 M) is related to the standard free energy change according to this equation:
Calculating the Equilibrium Constant02:46

Calculating the Equilibrium Constant

The equilibrium constant for a reaction is calculated from the equilibrium concentrations (or pressures) of its reactants and products. If these concentrations are known, the calculation simply involves their substitution into the Kc expression.
For example, gaseous nitrogen dioxide forms dinitrogen tetroxide according to this equation: