[TDHofstetter]

Hi, folks - I'm your rankest noob for the moment.

Given combustion (temperature about 500-600°C) in free air, followed by rapid (about 1/4 second) cooling to about 40°C, will some portion of C₁₀H₁₄N₂ (boiling point 247°C) readily oxidize - possibly using free nitrogen to finish the process - into C₆H₅NO₂ (melting point 236.6°C)? Or is that end product specific to oxidation in the presence of HNO₃?

If that oxidation does take place in free air at the temperatures and cooling rate given, about what percentage (wild guess) would convert?

Clearly CO and CO₂ would be byproducts. It certainly looks like the proposed end product would be there in some quantity, though.

The availability of free air in the process is assumed continuous & limitless. Comustion is sustained by surrounding organic material of ambiguous chemsitry, not to be considered in the process because it's ambiguous.

The right answer could be vitally important to quite a number of individuals.

No, I'm not selling anything. This question is posed for medical reasons.

Diagrams of the two molecules follow - starting molecule followed by theoretical product.

Thanks for any & all helpful input. Please feel free to probe for more details if they're needed to answer the question - I'm rank, but I'll try & answer to the best of my ability.

-- Tim --