Oxidative Decarboxylation of Substituted 4-Oxoacid by Acid Bromate — A Kinetic and Mechanistic Study

Abstract

The kinetic study of the oxidation of 4-oxo-4-phenylbutanoic acid and its 12 different phenyl-substituted compounds by acid bromate in aqueous acetic acid medium were studied. The reaction is found first order in each of the reactant, the oxoacid, hydrogen ion and bromate ion. A mechanism involving the formation of enolate anion of the substrate, subsequent rate of electron transfer and the activation parameters have been computed.