%0 Journal Article %T Oxidative Conversion of Lactic Acid by Chloramine-T in Sulfuric Acid Medium: a Kinetic and Mechanistic Study %J American Journal of Organic Chemistry %@ 2163-1301 %D 2012 %I %R 10.5923/j.ajoc.20120201.04 %X Lactic acid or LA (C3H6O3) plays a major role in several biomedical processes and in organic syntheses. The stoichiometry of the LA-chloramine-T (CAT) reaction in sulfuric acid medium shows that two moles of CAT are consumed per mole of LA with carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and p-toluenesulfonamide (PTS) as main products. The oxidation of LA by CAT in acid solutions has been spectrophotometrically monitored at ¦Ëmax = 255 nm at 323 K. The reaction, studied under pseudo-first order conditions of [LA]0 >> [CAT]0, follows a first-order dependence of the rate on [CAT] and a fractional order on [LA]. Variations of the [PTS], [H+], [SO42-], dielectric constant, and ionic strength of the reaction medium have no effect on the rate. Kinetic and activation parameters are evaluated based on the temperature effect on the rate. A mechanism consistent with the observed kinetics and activation data has been proposed leading to the derived rate law. %K Lactic Acid %K Chloramine-T %K Oxidation %K Reduction %K Spectrophotometry %K Stoichiometry %K Mechanism %K Rate Law %K P-Toulenesulfonamide %K Kinetics %U http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.ajoc.20120201.04.html