Kinetics and mechanism of the catalytic reaction between ozone and <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-cresol in acetic anhydride

The kinetics of the liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of para-cresol with an ozone-air mixture in the presence of manganese(II) acetate is reported. In an acetic anhydride medium, para-cresol reacts with ozone as para-cresyl acetate, which is formed at the instant the solution to be oxidized is prepared. Under these conditions, the major oxidation products are para-acetoxybenzyl acetate (63.5%) and para-acetoxybenzylidene diacetate (13.7%). The effect of the managanese(II) acetate concentration on the traction selectivity with respect to the oxidation of the methyl group of the substrate is reported. A mechanism consistent with the experimental data available on this catalytic redox reaction is suggested.