Thermal decomposition of transition metal carboxylates.

Thermal solid-phase decomposition of anhydrous copper( ii) formate has been studied at 120-180 ° The rate of gas evolution during the decomposition depends on the depth of conversion and can be presented as the sum of first-order reaction rates and the rate of the autocatalytic process (a second-order reaction). The evolution of the solid phase during thermolysis has been observed by optical microscopy. The decomposition of copper formate is a complex topochemical process, a combination of homogeneous and heterogeneous transformations and dispersion of large crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]