A high temperature, pressure study of the comparative rates of enolization and oxidation of acetone in aqueous solution
The rate of enolization and acetone has been determined as 6.6 × 10−4 s−1 at 193.5 °C under nitrogen at 136 atm total pressure via isotopic exchange. The rate of oxidation was determined to be 8.8 × 10−6 s−1 at 193.5 °C in 123 atm partial pressure of oxygen (136 atm total pressure). In a previous study it was shown that the rates of oxidation of several ketones correlated with the extents of enolization at room temperature. This prompted the suggestion that the enol is an intermediate in the oxidation. Since the rate of enolization exceeded the rate of oxidation by a factor of 75, this suggestion is further supported. A dependence of the rate of oxidation of acetone on oxygen concentration was also demonstrated.