Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of n-acetyl l-cysteine by 2,6-dichloroindophenol in methanol–water medium

The principal reactants interact in a molar ratio of 2:1 forming dihydroindophenol and the corresponding disulfide. The order of reaction is unity with respect to each reactant, namely, N-acetyl L-cysteine and indophenol. The rate shows an inverse linear relation with hydroxyl ions. It is not influenced by the variation in the initial concentration of indophenol. The rate increases on adding the salts possessing a cholinergic effect and the neutral electrolytes, as well as on increasing the dielectric constant of the medium. The products, namely, N-acetyl L-cystine (disulfide) and the leuco dye, do not influence the rate. A low energy and a highly negative entropy of activation (4.11 kcal/mol and -60.49 e.u., respectively) suggest the formation of an outer sphere complex as the rate-determining step.