Catalytic activity of copper oxides and chlorides in the redox chain addition of tetrachloromethane to styrene

Abstract

The catalytic activity of redox systems based on copper oxide or chloride and diethylamine (DEA) in the addition of tetrachloromethane to styrene at 76 °C increases in the order CuO-DEA < Cu2O-DEA < CuCl2-DEA ~ CuCl-DEA ##i CuCl.2 DEA. Reactions catalysed by systems Cu2O-DEA and CuO-DEA display significant induction periods which decrease with increasing DEA concentration. The dependence of reaction rates on the concentration of DEA indicates formation of the CuCl.2 DEA complex. Inhibition method was used to estimate the rate of the initiating step in the addition reaction catalysed by CuO-DEA.