Studies on the kinetics of imidazolium fluorochromate oxidation of some meta‐ and para‐substituted anilines in nonaqueous media

The imidazolium fluorochromate (IFC) oxidation of meta‐ and para‐substituted anilines, in seven organic solvents, in the presence of p‐toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) is first order in IFC and TsOH and is zero order with respect to substrate. The IFC oxidation of 15 meta‐ and para‐substituted anilines at 299–322 K complies with the isokinetic relationship but not to any of the linear free energy relationships; the isokinetic temperature lies within the experimental range. The specific rate of oxidizing species‐anilines reaction (k₂) correlates with substituent constants affording negative reaction constants. The rate data failed to correlate with macroscopic solvent parameters such as ε_r and E^N_T. A correlation of rate data with Kamlet–Taft solvatochromic parameters (α, β, π*) suggests that the specific solute–solvent interactions play a major role in governing the reactivity, and the observed solvent effects have been explained on the basis of solute–solvent complexation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 166–175, 2006