Kinetics and Mechanistic Studies on Oxidation of Levocarnitine by Bromamine-T in HCl Medium Catalyzed by Ru(III)

A kinetic study on RuCl3-catalysed oxidation of levocarnitine (LC) by sodium N-bromo-p-toluenesulphonamide or bromamine-T (BAT) has been carried out in HCl medium at 303 K. The reaction rate shows a first order dependence on [BAT] 0 and fractional order with respect to both [LC](0) and [H+]. Addition of the reaction product, p-toluenesulphonamide, retards the rate. The addition of RuCl3 and chloride ions to the reaction mixture shows an increase in the rate of the reaction. The dielectric effect is positive. The variation of ionic strength of the medium has no significant effect on the rate of the reaction. The reaction fails to initiate polymerization of acrylamide. Michaelis-Menten type of kinetics has been proposed. Thermodynamic parameters have been computed from Arrhenius plot by studying the reaction at different temperatures. The reaction stoichiometry and oxidation products were identified. Based on the experimental observations a suitable mechanism was proposed and rate law deduced.