Abstract :
Kinetic and mechanistic investigations on the oxidation of naphthalene by permanganate in aqueous acetic
acid medium with mineral acid were reported. The product, phthalic acid was identified by melting point
determination and infra red spectral analysis. The reaction showed first order kinetics with respect to the
concentrations of the oxidant, substrate and added acid. The effect of dielectric constant of the solvent indicated the
possible interaction between an ion and a dipole or between two dipoles. The added salt had no influence on rate of
reaction and negates the possible interaction between two charged species. Various thermodynamic factors like
enthalpy of activation, entropy of activation and free energy are determined and a mechanism in accordance with the
observations was suggested.
Keyword :
Naphthalene, Potassium Permanganate, Oxidation, Kinetics, Mechanism.