Kinetics and mechanism of the hydrolysis of thiamethoxam

The degradation of thiamethoxam [(EZ)-3-(2-chloro-1,3-thiazol-5-yl-methyl)-5-methyl-1,3,5-oxadiazinan-4-ylidene (nitro) amine] insecticide in buffers at different pH and temperature levels was investigated in laboratory studies. Acidic hydrolysis under conventional heating conditions and alkaline hydrolysis under both conventional heating and microwave conditions were carried out. Different hydrolysis products were found to form under alkaline and acidic conditions. Hydrolysis of thiamethoxam in acidic, neutral and alkaline buffers followed first-order reaction rate kinetics at pH 4, 7 and 9.2, respectively. Thiamethoxam readily hydrolyzed in alkaline buffer but was comparatively stable in neutral buffer solution. The main products formed under different conditions were characterized on the basis of infrared (IR), ¹H-NMR and Mass spectroscopy. The possible mechanisms for the formation of these hydrolysis products have also been proposed.