Kinetics and mechanism of the ruthenium(III) catalyzed oxidation of some polyhydric alcohols by acid bromate

Ruthenium(m) catalyzed oxidation of some polyhydric alcohols d-sorbitol and d-mannitol by acidic solution of potassium bromate in the presence of mercuric acetate as a scavenger for Br- ion have been made in the temperature range 30-45 degrees C. The reactions exhibit zero-order rate dependence with respect to each polyhydric alcohol and first order at low concentration range of KBrO3 was observed to tend to zero at its higher concentrations. A suitable mechanism consistent with the experimental results has been proposed.