Kinetics and mechanisms of the oxidation of ascorbic acid and benzene diols by nickel(III)tetraazamacrocycles in aqueous perchloric acid
The kinetics of reaction of ascorbic acid, hydroquinone, and catechol (H2A) with nickel(III) macrocycles (NiL3+) (L = cyclam, meso-(5,12)-7,7,14,14-Me6-14-ane-1,4,8,11-N4 (tet-a), and rac-(5,14)-7,7,12,12-Me6-14-ane-1,4,8,11-N4 (tet-c):[Formula: see text]have been investigated in aqueous perchloric acid solutions using the stopped-flow technique. The data are consistent with a rate-determining one-electron transfer reactions:[Formula: see text]followed by a rapid oxidation of the radical formed. In the reaction with ascorbic acid, for Ni(cyclam)3+, k1 = 250 M−1 s−1 (25 °C), k4Ka = 680 s−1; Ni(tet-c)3+, k1 = 2.52 × 103 M−1 s−1, k4Ka = 1.06 × 104 s−1; and Ni(tet-a)3+, k1 = 2.85 × 103 M−1 s−1 (21.95 °C), k4Ka = 1.26 × 104 s−1. With catechol, k1 = 6.98 × 102 M−1 s−1, 1.73 × 104 M−1 s−1, and 3.3 × 104 M−1 s−1 respectively in reactions with Ni(cyclam)3+, Ni(tet-c)3+, and Ni(tet-a)3+. With hydroquinone, k1 = 1.09 × 104 M−1s−1 (Ni(cyclam)3+) and 2.49 × 105 M−1 s−1 (20.9 °C) (Ni(tet-c)3+). The reactions are considered to take place via an outer-sphere mechanism and rate constants are discussed in terms of the Marcus cross correlation. Use has been made of predicted rate constants to identify reaction pathways in the hydrogen-ion dependent systems.