Kinetics and Mechanism of Oxidation of Some Substituted Phenol by Imidazolium Fluorochromate in Aqueous Acetic Acid

The Kinetics of Oxidation of p-methoxy phenol, p-cresol and p-Chloro phenol by Imidazolium Fluorochromate has been investigated in 50 %. Acetic acid. The order of reaction with respect to phenol and IFC was found to be one. The reaction rate increases with increase in [HClO4] and the order of reaction with respect to [H+] was found to be one. The effect of addition of NaCl on the rate was found negligible. An increase in the percentage of acetic acid increases the rate of reaction. From the Hamett Plot, it was found that there is an increase in the rate of reaction for electron donating substituent while decrease in rate in the case of electron withdrawing substituents. The effect of temperature on the rate has been studied has been studied at four different temperatures and activation parameters were evaluated. On the basis of observed data, a probable mechanism is proposed.