To examine the thermal decomposition of 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO) in detail, isotopic labeling studies were undertaken. NTO samples labeled with 15N in three different locations [ N(l) and N(2), N(4), and N (6)] were prepared.1 Upon thermolysis, the majority of the NTO condensed-phase product was a brown, insoluble residue, but small quantities of 2,4,-dihydro-3H- 1,2,4-triazol-3-one (TO) and triazole were detected.2 Gases comprised the remainder of the NTO decomposition products. The analysis of these gases is reported herein along with mechanistic implications of these observations.
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