AUTOOXIDATION OF ALKYL MERCAPTANS CATALYZED BY COBALT(II)PHTHALOCYANINE TETRASODIUM SULFONATE IN REVERSE MICELLES

The UV-Visible studies in different solvents and reverse micelles indi cate that anionic water soluble cobalt(II) phthalocyanine tetrasodium sulphonate exists in monomeric form in cationic surfactant reverse mic elles, whereas it exists in mixture of monomeric and dimeric forms in anionic surfactant reverse micelles at different pH as well as in homo geneous aqueous solution. Higher yields of dibenzyl disulphide are obt ained by catalytic oxidation of benzyl mercaptan in water in oil micro emulsions prepared from cationic surfactant than that of anionic surfa ctant at different pH range as well as homogeneous solution.