Table of contents entryThe kinetics of the reactions between 1,4-benzoquinones and hydrogen peroxide were studied.A systematic study of substituent effects revealed a Hammett-like correlation, where the rate of reaction is mainly determined by electronic effects.
3
AbstractThe kinetics and mechanisms of the redox reactions between hydrogen peroxide and 1,4-benzoquinone, 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 2-chloro-1,4-benzoquinone and 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone were studied in aqueous media using spectrophotometric monitoring. The formation and decay of a hydroxylated 1,4-benzoquinone was detected. The formation of the intermediate was first order with respect to the parent 1,4-bezoquinone and hydrogen peroxide, whereas inverse first order dependence was revealed with respect to hydrogen ion. The decomposition reaction had two parallel pathways: one was first order with respect to the intermediate, while the other showed second-order dependence.The values of the rate constant measured for the formation step were successfully correlated with both the redox potentials of the substituted quinone/hydroquinone systems and the pK a values of the hydroxylated quinone derivatives. Therefore, electronic effects govern the reactivity of the quinones in this process. NMR and GC-MS measurements were carried out to identify the products in the system. Quantum mechanical calculations were also carried out in these systems.4