Importance of enolate anions in the high‐pressure kinetics of nitroalkanes and nitroaromatics

We review and systematize experimental evidence concerning the extreme high‐pressure kinetics of condensed phase nitroalkanes and nitroaromatics. This systematization suggests that enolate aci anions of the nitroalkanes and enolate aci‐quinone anions of the nitroaromatics are important in the initial high‐pressure kinetics of such systems. Kinetic data from experiments which observed the effect of: (1) small amounts of chemical additives, (2) substitution for protons, (3) difference in chemical isomer, (4) exposure to ultra‐violet light, and (5) application of very high pressure can all be rationalized within the framework of our hypothesis. We suggest a static high‐pressure ultra‐violet absorption spectroscopy experiment on nitromethane that would test the proposed hypothesis.