Alkaline Hydrolysis of Ethiofencarb: Kinetic Study and Mechanism Degradation

The present paper deals with the hydrolysis of ethiofencarb [2-ethylthiomethyl(phenyl)-N-methylcarbamate] in alkaline solution. The reaction kinetics has been investigated using spectrophotometric and liquid chromatographic techniques. The rate constants were determined following a proposed first-order kinetic model. The positive activation entropy Delta S-not equal = +100.07 J mol(-1) K-1 and the absence of general basic catalysis indicated an E1cB hydrolytic mechanism, involving the formation of methyl isocyanate. This result was confirmed by the fact that ethiofencarb fits well into Bronsted and Hammett lines, obtained for a series of substituted N-methylcarbamate whose decomposition in aqueous media was established to follow an E1cB mechanism. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 45: 118-124, 2013