KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF TETRAHYDROFURAN OXIDATION BY CHLORAMINE-T IN ACIDIC MEDIA

The kinetics of tetrahydrofuran oxidation by sodium N-chloro-p-toluene sulfonamide in the hydrochloric acid medium was studied in this work at 308 K. The reaction rate shows a first-order dependence on [CAT] and fractional-order dependence each on [THF] and [H+]. The derivative rate law, which suitable for experimental results, is Equation 24. The first-order rate constant has been evaluated from the relationship of the plot of Log [CAT] versus Time. The variation of the ionic strength by the addition of sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) and chloride ion on the medium showed no significant effect on the reaction. The reaction rate raised with decreasing dielectric constant (D), while the addition of p-toluene sulfonamide retards the rate of reaction. The oxidation reaction of tetrahydrofuran have been studied at a different temperature, The equilibrium constants for the formation of hypochlorous acid, protonated hydrochlorous acid and protonated hydrochlorous acid-THF complex and its decomposition constant have been estimated. Also, the rate constant for the slow (rate-determining step) and the activation parameter have been calculated. A suitable mechanism for the oxidation reaction of tetrahydrofuran was proposed based on the experimental finding. The mechanism includes the reaction of active species (H2OCl) of the oxidizing agent with the tetrahydrofuran in a fast step to give the complex(X). This complex will then transformed into complex ((X) over bar) in slow step then to y-butyrolactone in another fast step.