THE REACTION OF POTASSIUM PERSULPHATE WITH THIOGLYCOLIC ACID IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION
Keyword(s):
The oxidation of thioglycolic acid to dithiodiglycolic acid by potassium persulphate in aqueous solution in the absence of iron did not yield reproducible results, but satisfactory data were obtained when ferrous or ferric ions were added to the system. The catalyst cycle appears to be that ferrous ion is oxidized by persulphate to ferric ion, and the ferric ion is reduced back to ferrous ion by thioglycolic acid. In the absence of persulphate, the reaction of ferric ion with thioglycolic acid in acid solution (pH < 3) was second order in both ferric ion and thioglycolic acid concentrations and was markedly inhibited by hydrogen ion.