Abstract:
Cyclohexene was oxidized using chromium (VI) oxide (CrO3) in pure acetic
acid medium. The products of oxidation were analysed using simple qualitative analysis, IR
spectroscopy and Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Kinetics studies were
carried out to determine the order of reaction, rate constant and the activation energy with
respect to the oxidant using pseudo-order approximation method. The influence of Cu2+, Co2+
and Fe2+ as catalysts were also investigated. Qualitative analyses of the products revealed the
presence alcohols and ketones while the GC/MS shows the presence of cyclohexanol (2.46%),
cyclohexanone (5.05%), 2-cyclohexen-1-one (59.37%), 1,2-cyclohexanediol monoacetate
(9.88%), 2-hydroxy-cyclohexanone (1.75%) and bi-2-cyclohexen-1-yl (5.16%). The reaction
order was shown to be 2nd order with respect to the CrO3 with activation energy of 45.32 kJ
mol-1 while Co2+ and Fe2+ indicated some catalytic activity on the reaction.