ABSTRACT
Quaternary ammonium salts exhibit high catalytic activity in radical-chain reactions of liquid-phase oxidation of hydrocarbons by O2 [1, 2]. Tetraalkylammonium halides accelerate radical decomposition of hydroperoxides [3, 4], which are primary molecular products of oxidation reaction of hydrocarbons. Reaction rate of the decomposition of hydroperoxides in the presence of quaternary ammonium salts is determined by the nature of the salt anion [4] as well as cation [5]. The highest reaction rate of the tertbutyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide decomposition has been observed in the case of iodide anions compared with bromide and chloride ones [4]. Among tetraalkylammonium bromides, tetraethylammonium one possesses the highest reactivity in the reaction of catalytic decomposition of 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl hydroperoxide [5] and lauroyl peroxide [6]. Benzoyl peroxide-tetraalkylammonium bromide binary systems were found to be the most efficient in the liquid-phase oxidation of isopropylbenzene, although corresponded iodides revealed the highest reactivity in the reaction of benzoyl peroxide decomposition [1, 7, 8].
