Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of glycolaldehyde by tetrachloroaurate(III)

The kinetics of the reaction between glycolaldehyde (GA) and tetrachloroaurate(III) in acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer has been studied. The reaction is first-order with respect to Au^III] as well as GA]. Both H⁺ and Cl^? ions retard the rate of reaction. AuCl₄^?, AuCl₃(OH₂), and AuCl₃(OH)^? are the reactive species of gold(III) with gradually increasing reactivity. A reaction mechanism involving two-electron transfer rate determining steps has been proposed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet: 30: 613–619, 1998