Correlation studies in the oxidation of Vanillin Schiff bases by acid bromate - A kinetic and semi-empirical approach

Kinetics and mechanistic aspects of oxidation of Vanillin Schiff bases (obtained from Vanillin and p-substituted anilines) by bromate in acid medium has been studied at 313 ?K. The reaction exhibited first order in [bromate] and less than unity order each in [Vanillin Schiff base] and [acid]. The increase in the rate of reaction with decrease in dielectric constant of the medium is observed with all the studied substrates. The reaction failed to induce the polymerization of acrylonitrile. Electron withdrawing substituents in the aniline ring moiety of Vanillin Schiff base accelerate the rate of oxidation to a large extent and electron releasing substituents retard the rate. The order of reactivity is found to be p-nitro ?> ?p-bromo ?> ?p-chloro ?> ?–H ?> ?p-fluoro ?> ?p-methyl ?> ?p-methoxy ?> ?p-ethoxy and the sensitivity of the substrates towards the reaction rate is further supported by the semi-empirical calculation of electronic properties and global descriptors of the substrates (Vanillin Schiff bases) with different substituents in the aniline ring moiety. The observed trend in the reactivity of the substrates was correlated with the calculated descriptors like electronegativity, chemical potential, electrophilicity index, chemical hardness and frontier molecular orbitals. The linear free-energy relationship is characterized by a straight line in the Hammett's plot of log k versus σ. The ρ values are positive and increase with increase in temperature. From the Exner and Arrhenius plots, the isokinetic relationship is discussed. Oxidation products identified are p-substituted azobenzene and vanillic acid. Based on the experimental observations, a plausible mechanism is proposed and rate law is derived.