Catalytic Effect of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide on the Oxidation of Triethylene glycol by Chloramine-T in Acidic Medium

The kinetics and mechanism of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide catalyzed oxidation of triethylene glycol (2,2'-ethylene diqxybis(ethanol)) by chloramine-T in acidic acid medium have been investigated. The reaction is first order dependence on chloramine-T and fractional order for triethylene glycol with excess concentration of other reactants. The catalytic effect due to cetyletrimethylammonium bromide has been studied. The small salt effect and increase in the reaction rate with increasing dielectric constant suggest the involvement of neutral molecule in the rate-determining step. The addition of p-toluene sulfonamide retards the reaction rate. The effect of chloride ion on the reaction also studied. The effect of temperature on the reaction has been investigated in the temperature range 313-333K and thermodynamic parameters were calculated from the Arrhenious plot. A tentative mechanism consistent with the experimental results has been proposed.