Micellar catalysis of chromium(VI) oxidation of ethane-1,2-diol in the presence and absence of 2,2′-bipyridine in aqueous acid media

Abstract

The kinetics and mechanism of the Cr(VI) oxidation of ethane-1,2-diol in the presence and absence of 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy) in aqueous acid media were studied under the conditions [ethane-1,2-diol]T ≫ [Cr(VI)]T. Under the kinetic conditions, monomeric Cr(VI) was found to be kinetically active in the absence of bipy, whereas in the bipy-catalyzed path the Cr(VI)-bipy complex was the active oxidant. In this path, the Cr(VI)-bipy complex undergoes nucleophilic attack by the substrate to form a ternary complex which subsequently undergoes redox decomposition (through 2e transfer) leading to hydroxyethanol and the Cr(IV)-bipy complex. The Cr(IV)-bipy complex then participates further in oxidation of organic substrate, ultimately converted into inert Cr(III)-bipy complex. The uncatalyzed path shows a second-order dependence on [H+], while the bipy-catalyzed path shows a first-order dependence on [H+]. Both the uncatalyzed and bipy-catalyzed paths show first-order dependence on [ethane-1,2-diol]T and on [Cr(VI)]T. The bipy-catalyzed path is first-order in [bipy]T. All these patterns remain unaltered in the presence of externally added surfactants. The effects of a cationic surfactant, N-cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), on both the uncatalyzed and bipy-catalyzed paths were studied. CPC inhibits both the uncatalyzed and bipy-catalyzed paths, whereas SDS catalyzes the reactions. The observed micellar effects are explained by considering a distribution pattern of the reactants between the micellar and aqueous phases.