Kinetic and mechanistic aspects for the tartaric acid oxidation by vanadium(V) in sulfuric acid medium

Tartaric acid oxidation by vanadium(V) in sulfuric acid medium was investigated spectrophotometrically at 760 nm and 30°C by appearance of the vanadium(IV), as vanadyl. The reaction rate was determined under pseudo-first-order conditions with an excess of hydroxyacid over the oxidant concentration. The oxidation showed a first-order dependence with respect to vanadium(V) concentration and fractional orders with respect to tartaric acid and sulfuric acid concentrations, with no control and with constant ionic strength. The reaction rate is enhanced by an increase of ionic strength, and slightly reduced by a decrease of the dielectric constant of the medium. The activation parameters were calculated based on the rate constants determined in the 293 to 313 K interval. The proposed oxidation mechanisms and the derived rate laws are consistent with the experimental rate laws. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet: 30: 55–61, 1998.