title: Alkali hydrolysis of trinitrotoluene.
abstract: Data for alkali hydrolysis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous solution at pH 12.0 under static (pH-controlled) as well as dynamic (pH-uncontrolled) conditions are reported. The experiments were conducted at two different molar ratios of TNT to hydroxyl ions at room temperature. The TNT disappeared rapidly from the solution as a first-order reaction. The complete disappearance of aromatic structure from the aqueous solution within 24 h was confirmed by the ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectra of the samples. Cuvet experiments in a UV-VIS spectrophotometer demonstrated the formation of Meisenheimer complex, which slowly disappeared via formation of aromatic compounds with fewer nitro groups. The known metabolites of TNT were found to accumulate only in very small quantities in the liquid phase.
authors.affiliation: Technische Fachhochschule, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karasch
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qasim
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Bajpai
mesh_terms: D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007700:Kinetics; D012996:Solutions; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D014303:Trinitrotoluene