Kinetics and mechanism of palladium(II) chloride catalysed oxidation of unsaturated acids by vanadium(V)

Summary The kinetics of the palladium(II) catalysed oxidation of acrylic, methacrylic and crotonic acid by vanadium(V), in acid medium at constant ionic strength exhibit zeroth order dependence on vanadium(V) and first order dependence on palladium(II) and the unsaturated acid. Complex formation between the palladium(II) species and the unsaturated acid, with possible exchange of chloride ion and hydrogen ion in two successive steps, was invoked. The reaction rate is determined by a rearrangement leading to elimination of chloride ion. A plausible mechanism is proposed.