Oxidative Decarboxylation and Deamination of Essential Amino Acids by Nicotinium Dichromate - a Kinetic Study

The oxidation of essential amino acids like valine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, phenylalanine and histidine using nicotinium dichromate in aqueous medium in presence of perchloric acid at 313 K leads to the formation of corresponding aldehydes. The reaction is first order with respect to nicotinium dichromate, fractional order with respect to amino acids and second order with respect to perchloric acid. Increase in ionic strength by the addition of sodium perchlorate has no effect on the rate constant. There is no polymerization with acrylonitrile. The reaction has been studied at different temperatures and a mechanism confirming to the kinetic observations is suggested.