Adsorption-parallel catalytic waves of cinnamic acid in hydrogen peroxide-tetra-n-butylammonium bromide-acetate system

The mechanism of the adsorption-parallel catalytic wave of cinnamic acid (C6H5-CH == CH-COOH) in acetate buffer (pH = 4.0)-H2O2-tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (Bu4N.Br) solution was studied by the linear-sweep polarography, cyclic voltammetry and digital simulation approach. Experimental results indicate that the reduction mechanism of cinnamic acid is ECdimE'process, in which the C == C double bond of cinnamic acid first undergoes 1e, 1H+ reduction to produce an intermediate free radical C6H5-C.H-CH2-COOH(E'), then the further reduction of the free radical in 1e,1H+ addition (E') occurs simultaneously with a dimerization reaction between two free radicals (Cdim). Bu4N.Br enhances the polarographic current of cinnamic acid and shifts the peak potential to positive direction. The enhancement action of Bu4N.Br is due to the adsorption of cinnamic acid induced by Bu4N+ species. In addition, H2O2 causes the parallel catalytic wave of cinnamic acid. The mechanism of the catalytic wave is EC'process because H2O2 oxidizes the free radical of cinnamic acid to regenerate the original C == C bond(C'), preventing both the further reduction and the dimerization of the free radicals. The apparent rate constant kf of the oxidation reaction is 1.35×102 mol.L-1.s-1. A new class of catalytic waves for organic compounds, the adsorption-parallel catalytic waves upon the dual enhancement action of both the surfactant and oxidant, has been presented.