The kinetics of oxidation of glycolic acid, an α-hydroxy acid, by peroxomonosulfate (PMS) was studied in the presence of Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions and in acidic pH range 4.05-5.89. The metal glycolate, not the glycolic acid (GLYCA), is oxidized by PMS. The rate is first order in [PMS] and metal ion concentrations. The oxidation of nickel glycolate is zero-order in [GLYCA] and inverse first order in [H + ]. The increase of [GLYCA] decreases the rate in copper glycolate, and the rate constants initially increase and then remain constant with pH. The results suggest that the metal glycolate ML + reacts with PMS through a metal-peroxide intermediate, which transforms slowly into a hydroperoxide intermediate by the oxygen atom transfer to hydroxyl group of the chelated GLYCA. The effect of hydrogen ion concentrations on k obs suggests that the structure of the metal-peroxide intermediates may be different in Ni(II) and Cu(II) glycolates. C
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.