Abstract: | The kinetics of the oxidation of formate, oxalate, and malonate by |NiIII(L1)|2+ (where HL1 = 15-amino-3-methyl-4,7,10,13-tetraazapentadec-3-en-2-one oxime) were carried out over the regions pH 3.0–5.75, 2.80–5.50, and 2.50–7.58, respectively, at constant ionic strength and temperature 40°C. All the reactions are overall second-order with first-order on both the oxidant and reductant. A general rate law is given as - d/dt|NiIII(L1)2+| = kobs|NiIII(L1)2+| = (kd + nks |R|)|NiIII(L1)2+|, where kd is the auto-decomposition rate constant of the complex, ks is the electron transfer rate constant, n is the stoichiometric factor, and R is either formate, oxalate, or malonate. The reactivity of all the reacting species of the reductants in solution were evaluated choosing suitable pH regions. The reactivity orders are: kHCOOH > k; k > k > k, and k > k < k for the oxidation of formate, oxalate, and malonate, respectively, and these trends were explained considering the effect of hydrogen bonded adduct formation and thermodynamic potential. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 29: 225–230, 1997. |