THE METAL-CATALYZED AUTOXIDATION OF TETRALIN: II. THE COBALT-CATALYZED AUTOXIDATION OF UNDILUTED TETRALIN AND OF TETRALIN IN CHLOROBENZENE

The catalysis of the autoxidation of tetralin by the cobalt salts of 10 organic acids has been examined at 50 °C over a concentration range from 2 × 10−6 to 1.0 mole/l, of cobalt. The measured rate of oxidation reaches a limiting value at cobalt concentrations above 2 × 10−2 mole/l., which is about half the expected limiting rate. The cobalt salt catalysts are deactivated during the oxidation, probably in the initiation reaction with hydroperoxide, each cobalt atom being capable of decomposing about 100 molecules of hydroperoxide. Upon correcting the measured limiting rate for cobalt deactivation and for the amount of tetralin consumed at the point where the rate reaches a maximum value an extrapolated limiting rate about equal to the expected value is obtained. Although no steady concentration of hydroperoxide occurs during the oxidation the results suggest that the limiting rate of oxidation is basically due to the same phenomena that produce a limiting rate for the cobalt-catalyzed autoxidation of tetr...