An-Najah Staff

The kinetics of oxidation of 1-octene and heptanal by 18-crown-6-ether-solubilized KMnO_4 in benzene and CH_2Cl_2 have been investigated. In benzene, the oxidation of 1-octene is first order with respect to the oxidant and zero order with respect to the substrate, whereas in CH_2Cl_2 the reaction is first order with respect to both substrate and oxidant. The reaction of heptanal followed different kinetics being first order with respect to both substrate and oxidant, regardless of whether benzene or CH_2Cl_2 was employed as the solvent. The values of activation energy E_a, standard enthalpy H^*, standard entropy change S^*, and standard free energy G^*, for the reaction, are reported. Mechanistic pathways for the studied reactions are also proposed.