In liquid-liquid systems

the substrates in the liquids are inaccessible to each other for the reaction. By adding a small quantity of phase transfer catalyst

the reaction can bemade accessible and accelerated. The present study involves the phase transfer catalyzed oxidation of 2-methyl-1-butanol by quaternary ammoniumpermanganate (tricaprylyl methyl ammonium permanganate). The attempt was to compare the kinetics under homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions. Experiments were conducted in a batch reactor to determine the kinetics under homogeneous conditions. A baffled borosilicate agitated reactor was used to find the enhancement factor and the kinetics under heterogeneous conditions. The rate constants determined under both homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions agreed very well. The oxidation was found to be first order with respect to each of the reactants

quaternary ammonium permanganate and the alcohol

resulting in an overall second order rate expression. Aliquat336 (tricaprylylmethylammonium chloride) was found to be the best compared with the other catalysts tested (triethylbenzylammoniumchloride

tetrabutylammonium bromide

tetrabutylammonium iodide and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate) and it gave an enhancement factor of 9.8.