Kinetics of hydrolysis of peroxybenzoic acid in aqueous acidic solution

Abstract

The kinetics of decomposition of peroxybenzoic acid have been studied in acidic solutions in a wide range of concentrations of the reactants at various temperatures and at ionic strength 0·2M. The rate equation is (i) where k₁=(2·8 ± 0·1)× 10^–7 s^–1 and k₂=(5·14 ± 0·07)× 10^–6 l mol^–1 s^–1 at 25°C. A bimolecular mechanism, –d[PhCO₃H]/dt=k₁[PhCO₃H]+k₂[PhCO₃H][H⁺](i) involving the attack of water on the carbonyl carbon of the substrate, is suggested.