A kinetic study of the reaction of phenyl isocyanate with water

The pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics of the reaction of phenyl isocyanate with water in 80 percent acetone and 20 percent water were studied using carbon dioxide evolution as a function of time as the reaction rate measurement. The activation parameters were determined from studies of the reaction rate at several different temperatures. Additionally, some catalytic and deuterium isotope effects were determined. From the results of these studies, a detailed mechanism of the reaction was proposed. The first step of the mechanism involves the formation of a cyclic intermediate and is the rate determining step.