Mechanism of oxidation of diazepam by 1-chlorobenzotriazole in acidic medium. A kinetic approach

The kinetics of oxidation of diazepam (DZ) by 1-chlorobenzotriazole (CBT) has been studied in HClO₄ medium in the temperature range of 293–323 K. The reactions followed a first order dependence on CBT], fractional order each in H⁺] and DZ]. Activation parameters were evaluated. A negative entropy of activation indicated the involvement of a rigid complex in the activated state. Variation of reaction rate with dielectric constant and the ionic strength are consistent with a mechanism involving the decomposition of a dipole in the rate-determining step. Rate equation is derived to account for the observed kinetic data and the proposed reaction mechanism.