Equilibrium and kinetic studies of electron transfer reactions involving quinolinium dichromate and aminoalcohols in aqueous acid media

Summary Oxidation of the aminoalcohols (AA) such as ethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine by quinolinium dichromate (QDC) yielded formaldehyde as the main product in aqueous H₂SO₄ and HClO₄ media. The reaction kinetics exhibited a first-order dependence on QDC]. Plots of 1/k versus 1/AA] indicated the formation of a QDC-A A adduct prior to the rate limiting step. The equilibrium constants, K, for the formation of QDC-AA adducts were evaluated by kinetic and spectroscopic (Ardon's) methods. The reaction was found to be catalysed by HClO₄ and H₂SO₄. The results were analysed in terms of various acidity function theories.