Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of some chelating agents by perbenzoic acids

Abstract

The kinetics of the N-oxidation of ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid, diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid, and ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid by substituted perbenzoic acids has been studied. The dependence of the second-order rate constant on the nature of the peracid, pH, the basicity of the nitrogen atom of the chelating agent, and the temperature of the reaction is consistent with a mechanism involving nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen of the chelating agent on the outer peroxidic oxygen of the peracid. The kinetic data is of importance in assessing how added chelators suppress the metal-ion catalysed reactions of peracids.