Abstract
The polyoxyethylene chain of non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 [4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl) phenyl polyethylene glycol,TX-100] was degraded by permanganate in the presence of HClO4. The oxidative degradation rate and cloud point have been obtained as a function of [surfactant], [permanganate], [HClO4], and temperature. Dependence of the reaction rate on adding inorganic salts (Na4P2O7, NaF and MnCl2) was also examined. The oxidation rate increased with increase in [TX-100] and [H+]. The higher order kinetics with respect to [TX-100] at lower [H+] shifted to lower order at higher [H+]. The cloud point of TX-100 (67?C) shifted to lower temperature (23?0.5?C) after oxidative degradation of the polyoxyethylene chain. Evidence of complex formation between TX-100 and MnO 4 - was obtained spectrophotometrically. Presence of the primary alcoholic (--OH) group in the TX-100 skeleton is responsible for the degradation of oxyethylene chain. Both monomeric and aggregated TX-100 molecules are oxidized by permanganate. A catalytic oxidation mechanism is proposed on the basis of the experimental findings.