Studies of Organic Peroxides. VIII. The Reaction of Benzoyl Peroxide with 5, 5′-Indigo-disulfonic Acid

Abstract The reaction of benzoyl peroxide with 5, 5′-indigo-disulfonic acid was studied in ethanol. The effect of the p,p′-substituents of benzoyl peroxide on the reaction rate was investigated. It was found that the reaction is a bimolecular process. Either electron-attracting substituents or electron-releasing substituents promote the reaction. This was interpreted by means of the multicenter mechanism. The electron absorption spectra of the reaction mixture showed the formation of a reasonably stable complex in ethanol. This complex is decomposed by water to 5-isatinsulfonic acid and 5, 5′-indigo-disulfonic acid.