Abstract
Base hydrolysis of 7-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one (HC) and 7-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one-4-acetic acid (HCA) in aqueous-methanol and aqueous-acetone mixtures were studied kinetically at temperature range from 283 to 313 K. The activation parameters of the reactions were evaluated and discussed. Moreover, the change in the activation energy barrier of the investigated compounds from water to water-methanol and water-acetone mixtures was estimated from the kinetic data. It is observed that the change in activation barriers is more or less the same for the hydrolysis of HC and HCA. Base hydrolysis of HC and HCA follows a rate law with k(obs)=k(2)[OH-]. The decrease in the rate constants of HC and HCA as the proportion of methanol or acetone increases is due to the destabilization of OH- ion. The high negative values of entropy of activation support the proposal mechanism, i.e. the investigated reaction takes place via the formation of an intermediate complex. Moreover, these values refer to the rigidity and stability of the intermediate complex. Thus, the ring opening of the intermediate complex would be the rate controlling step.