Autooxidation of alkyl mercaptans catalysed by cobalt(II)phthalocyanine tetrasodium sulphonate in reverse micelles

The UV-Visible studies in different solvents and reverse micelles indicate that anionic water soluble cobalt(II) phthalocyanine tetrasodium sulphonate exists in monomeric form in cationic surfactant reverse micelles, whereas it exists in mixture of monomeric and dimeric forms in anionic surfactant reverse micelles at different pH as well as in homogeneous aqueous solution. Higher yields of dibenzyl disulphide are obtained by catalytic oxidation of benzyl mercaptan in water in oil microemulsions prepared from cationic surfactant than that of anionic surfactant at different pH range as well as homogeneous solution.