1985 Volume 11 Issue 4 Pages 424-431
Oxidation of benzyl alcohol in various solvents (organic phase) by sodium hypochlorite in distilled water (aqueous phase) was investigated at 303 K in a batch reactor containing an anion exchange resin (solid phase). When benzene, xylene and carbon tetrachloride were used as solvents, the kinetics was the same as for toluene in a previous paper; that is, a consecutive reaction of first order occurred in the aqueous phase and on the solid phase. On the other hand, a special solvent effect was attributed to ethyl acetate, and the reaction rate in ethyl acetate was much higher than that in other solvents.
To elucidate this effect, decomposition of sodium hypochlorite in distilled water was investigated in a batch reactor containing an anion exchange resin and an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate or toluene. When ethyl acetate was present, the decomposition took place in the aqueous phase and on the solid phase. When toluene was present, however, no decomposition occurred in any phase. It was concluded from these results that the mechanism of oxidation in ethyl acetate was different from that in other solvents.
