Interfacial activity of hydroxyoxime and the reaction order of copper extraction in toluene/water system

Interfacial tension dat for model 2-hydroxy-5-alkylbenzophenone E oximes at toluene/water interfaces was used to discuss different versions of the copper extraction mechanism. It was found that the interfacial tension isotherms are not specific enough to distinguish different interfacial behaviour of more and less hydrophobic hydroxyoximes, but if only the interfacial process is considered then the interfacial tension data demonstrate the extraction limiting step is the reaction between hydroxyoxime molecule present near the interface and the intermediate 1'1 complex. Only in this case are the predicted reaction orders aginst hydroxyoxime in agreement with order determined experimentally.