Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of 2‐mercaptosuccinic acid by bis(μ‐oxo)‐ manganese(III,IV)‐cyclam complex in aqueous medium: Influence of externally added copper(II)

Kinetic studies on the oxidation of 2‐mercaptosuccinic acid by dinuclear [Mn 2 III/IV (μ‐O) 2 (cyclam) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 3 ] ( 1 ) (abbreviated as Mn III –Mn IV ) (cyclam = 1,4,8,11‐tetraaza‐cyclotetradecane) have been carried out in aqueous medium in the pH range of 4.0–6.0, in the presence of acetate buffer at 30°C by UV–vis spectrophotometry. In the pH region, two species of complex 1 (Mn III –Mn IV and Mn III –Mn IV H, the later being μ‐O protonated form) were found to be kinetically significant. The first‐order dependence of the rate of the reactions on [Thiol] both in presence and absence of externally added copper(II) ions, first‐order dependence on [Cu 2+ ] and a decrease of rate of the reactions with increase in pH have been rationalized by suitable sequence of reactions. Protonation of μ‐O bridge of 1 is evidenced by the perchloric acid catalyzed decomposition of 1 to mononuclear Mn(III) and Mn(IV) complex observed by UV–vis and EPR spectroscopy. The kinetic features have been rationalized considering Cu(RSH) as the reactive intermediate. EPR spectroscopy lends support for this. The formation of a hydrogen bonded outer‐sphere adduct between the reductant and the complex in the lower pH range prior to electron transfer reactions is most likely to occur. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 170–177 2004