Wet-oxidation of acetic acid catalyzed by copper salts.

Wet-oxidation of acetic acid was carried out in the presence of copper(II) nitrate, copper-(II) sulfate, and copper(II) chloride. Counter anions exhibited an remarkable effect on the stability of copper(II) ion under the reaction conditions. These copper salts were highly active, and the rate expression, -d[AcOH]/dt=k[Cu(II)]0.62[AcOH]1.2, was obtained in the case of copper(II) nitrate. Copper(II) nitrate was also active for the decomposition of acetic acid in nitrogen. It was suggested that nitrate ion was activated by copper(II) ion, releasing its oxygen atoms to behave as an oxidizing agent in the absence of oxygen.