Ruthenium(III) and ruthenium(III)-aminopolycarboxylic acid chelate-catalyzed oxidation of ascorbic acid by molecular oxygen

Abstract

The kinetics of Ru(III) ion, Ru(III)-EDTA (1:1) and Ru(III)-IMDA (1:1) catalyzed oxidation of ascorbic acid by molecular oxygen are investigated at 25°C, μ = 0.1 M KNO 3, in the pH range 1.50 to 2.75. First-order kinetics were observed with respect to the concentrations of Ru(III) ion, Ru(III)-EDTA, Ru(III)-IMDA and ascorbic acid. The rate of oxidation was found to be inversely proportional to the hydrogen ion concentration. One-half-order and zero-order dependences with respect to the concentration of molecular oxygen were found in the cases of Ru(III) ion and Ru(III)-amino-polycarboxylic acid chelate-catalyzed oxidations, respectively. An inverse relationship was found between the stability and catalytic activity of the Ru(III) chelates of aminopolycarboxylic acids. The catalytic activities of Ru(III) ion and its chelates increase in the order Ru(III)-EDTA < Ru(III)-IMDA < Ru(III). The mechanistic implications of the oxidations catalyzed by Ru(III) ion and its chelates are discussed.