Research Article
Kinetics of Oxidation of Cobalt(III) Complexes of α-Hydroxy Acids by Hydrogen Peroxide in the Presence of Surfactants
MANSUR AHMED* and K. SUBRAMANI
ABSTRACT
Hydrogen peroxide oxidation of pentaamminecobalt(III) complexes of a-hydroxy acids at 35 0C in micellar medium has been attempted. In this reaction the rate of oxidation shows first order kinetics each in [cobalt(III)] and [H2O2]. Hydrogen peroxide induced electron transfer in [(NH3)5CoIII-L ]2+ complexes of a-hydroxy acids readily yields 100% of cobalt(II) with nearly 100% of C-C bond cleavage products suggesting that it behaves mainly as one equivalent oxidant in micellar medium. With unbound ligand also it behaves only as C-C cleavage agent rather than C-H cleavage agent. With increasing micellar concentration an increase in the rate is observed.
Received 5 April 2007; Accepted 20 July 2007