[TJAL]

With the exception of Beryllium the Group II nitrates thermally decompose by:

2Mg(NO3)2 ----- 2MgO + 4NO2 + 02

This results in 3 different oxygen species. Does anybody know the exact mechanism for this reaction? I thought it might be:

2NO3(-ve 1) ----- 2NO2 (+1) + O (-ve 2)

NO3(-ve 1) + NO2 (+ve 1) ------ 2NO2 +  O(radical)    (*2, radicals form O2)

I'm not very certain though, my teacher wasn't sure either. He suggested another mechanism where two negative ions combined but I wasn't very sure about it.  

 

[Donaldson Tan]

  Combination of 2 anions? Like charges repel FYI  (highly unlikely)

I don't know the mechanism myself thou  

[TJAL]

That was why i wasn't convinced by by teacher's explanation

[Mitch]

Can you post your teacher's mech?

[AWK]

In my opinion this reaction shows rather radical mechanism. Since thermal decomposition of nitrates needs rather quite high temperatures a nitrogen monooxide should be taken into account.