Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of butane-2,3-diol by alkaline hexacyanoferrate (III), catalyzed by ruthenium trichloride

The kinetics of oxidation of butane-2,3-diol by alkaline hexacyanoferrate (III), catalyzed by ruthenium trichloride has been studied spectrophotometrically. The reaction rate shows a zero-order dependence on oxidant, a first-order dependence on |Ru(III)|_T, a Michaelis-Menten dependence on |diol|, and a variation complicated on |OH⁻|. A reaction mechanism involving the existence of two active especies of catalyst, Ru(OH)₂⁺ and Ru(OH)₃, is proposed. Each one of the active species of catalyst forms an intermediate complex with the substrate, which disproportionates in the rate determining step. The complex disproportionation involves a hydrogen atom transfer from the α C(SINGLE BOND)H of alcohol to the oxygen of hydroxo ligand of ruthenium, to give Ru(II) and an intermediate radical which is then further oxidized. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 29: 1–7, 1997.