Mechanisms of antioxidant action. Part 4. The decomposition of 1-methyl-1-phenylethyl hydroperoxide by zinc dialkyldithiocarbamates and zinc xanthates

Abstract

Four zinc dithiocarbamates and two zinc xanthates have been used as promoters for the decomposition of 1-methyl-1-phenylethyl hydroperoxide (cumene hydroperoxide). The distribution of products formed from the hydroperoxide is independent of the promoter. This, together with other evidence in the literature, suggests that the dithiocarbamates and xanthates decompose the hydroperoxide via the formation of sulphur trioxide–sulphuric acid. This is in direct contrast to the results obtained in previous work using zinc O,O′-dialkyl(aryl)phosphorodithioates (zinc DDPs) as promoters where the hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst was shown to be the corresponding acid O,O′-dialkyl(aryl) hydrogen phosphorodithioate.