Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications - digital archive 

Abstract

Kinetics of oxidation of 1- and 2-acetylnaphthalenes by iodate in the presence of sulphuric acid in aqueous methanol has been studied. The reaction is first order with respect to both [iodate] and [acetylnaphthalene]. Solvent effect indicates a cation-dipole type of interaction in the rate limiting step. A mechanism is proposed with a slow attack of IO₂⁺ on enol form of acetylnaphthalene forming an intermediate carbonium ion, which ultimately gives corresponding ω-hydroxyacetylnaphthalene. The higher reactivity of 2-acetyl isomer is attributed to the greater stability of the corresponding carbonium ion than that of 1-acetyl isomer.