Kinetics of malachite green fading in alcohol–water binary mixtures

The rate constant of alkaline fading of malachite green (MG⁺) was studied in alcohol–water binary mixtures. This reaction was studied under pseudo‐first‐order conditions at 283–303 K. It was observed that the reaction rate constants were increased in the presence of different weight percentages of methanol, ethanol, 1‐propanol, 2‐propanol, ethylene glycol, 1,2‐propanediol, and glycerol (up to 19.3%). In aqueous glycerol solutions higher than 19.3%, the rate constant of reaction slightly decreases, which is due to high viscosity values of solvent mixtures. The fundamental rate constants of MG⁺ fading in these solutions were obtained by using the SESMORTAC model. Owing to the charged character of activated complex, with an increase in the weight percentage of the used cosolvents or temperature, k₂ values change according to the trend of hydroxide ion nucleophilic parameter values. Also, using MG⁺ solvatochromism, a simple test, called MAGUS, is introduced for measuring the glycerol concentration in its aqueous solutions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 508–518, 2010