Experimental and Computational Thermochemistry of 3- and 4-Nitrophthalic Anhydride

In order to understand the influence that the position of the nitro group on the aromatic ring has on the relative stability of two isomers, the standard enthalpies of formation of 3- and 4-nitrophthalic anhydride in the gaseous phase, at T = 298.15 K, were obtained by experimental thermochemistry and theoretical studies. The standard enthalpies of formation in the crystalline phase, at T = 298.15 K, were obtained by combustion calorimetry and the enthalpies of sublimation by the Knudsen method. For the theoretical calculations, a standard ab initio molecular orbital method at the G3 level was used. The enthalpies of formation in the gaseous phase were obtained from atomization and isodesmic reactions. A theoretical study of the molecular and electronic structures of these compounds was also performed. Differences of -9.7 kJ·mol^-1, for 3-nitrophthalic anhydride, and -2.6 kJ·mol^-1 for 4-nitrophthalic anhydride, were found from a comparison between our theoretical and experimental results.