Study of the kinetics of oxidation of amines by potassium ferricyanide in the presence of N,N‐dimethyldodecylamine N‐oxide

This research reports on the oxidation of different amines such as dibutylamine, diethylamine, dipropylamine, ethylamine, ethylmethylamine, propylamine, triethylamine, and trimethylamine by 0.001 M potassium ferricyanide in the presence of 0.03 M NaOH at 25°C in aqueous medium and/or in 0.03 M N,N‐dimethyldodecylamine N‐oxide (DDAO). Oxidation rates were studied with a spectrophotometer at 420 nm. The experimental data showed that the reaction was first‐order with respect to [amine]T and [Fe(CN)6]3−. Also, the rate constant (kobs) had values within the concentration range of 0.015–0.05 M of NaOH and increased above the critical micelle concentration values of DDAO. The dependence of the reaction rate on the nature of the salt was also investigated, and the thermodynamic parameters ΔG*, ΔH*, and ΔS* were calculated. A pseudo‐phase model was applied to the system, and the binding constant of the amine to DDAO micelles was calculated.