The kinetics and mechanism of the reaction between hydrophobic 4-hexadecylarenediazonium ions, 16-ArN R 2 and vitamin C, VC, in a model emulsion prepared by mixing octane, acidic (HCl) water and the non-ionic surfactant hexaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether, C 12 E 6 , were investigated. Because emulsions are opaque, linear sweep voltammetry, LSV, was employed to monitor the reaction. Voltammograms of 16-ArN R 2 in emulsions show two reduction peaks as in aqueous systems. The half-life for the spontaneous decomposition of 16-ArN R 2 in the emulsion was estimated as t 1/2 ¼ 14.5 h at T ¼ 25 -C. Upon addition of VC to the system, the first reduction peak of 16-ArN R 2 disappears almost immediately and a new reduction peak is detected at E p ¼ S0.25 V. Electrochemical titration of 16-ArN R 2 shows that the new peak corresponds to the formation of a 1:1 adduct. The i P (E p ¼ S0.25 V) values can be linearly correlated with [16-ArN R 2 ] and the observed rate constants, k obs , were determined by fitting the (i p , t) data to the integrated first order equation. The variation of k obs with [VC] follows a saturation kinetics profile, consistent with the formation of an intermediate in a pre-equilibrium step. All the evidence is consistent with a reaction mechanism comprising two competitive pathways, the spontaneous D N R A N mechanism and the unimolecular decomposition of a transient diazo ether (DE) formed in a pre-equilibrium step. The data allowed estimations of the interfacial rate constant for the reaction between 16-ArN R 2 and VC S but did not allow the determination of the equilibrium constant for the DE formation.