10.1134/S0036024407010050
The study investigates the kinetics and mechanism of the alcoholysis of symmetrical dioctylurea in inert solvents, with n-octanol as the alcohol involved. The reaction follows two parallel pathways: one involving the dissociation of initial urea and the other, bimolecular interaction. The researchers used various solvents, including decane, phenetole, o-dichlorobenzene, benzonitrile, and nitrobenzene, to study the influence of solvent properties on the reaction rate. The reaction products were analyzed using proton NMR spectroscopy and photocolorimetry. The study found that the specific rate of the alcoholysis of N,N'-dioctylurea linearly depended on the initial concentration of octanol, indicating that the reaction proceeds via both dissociative and associative routes. The rate constants for these processes were determined and correlated with solvent properties using the Palm–Koppel equation.