The kinetics of oxidation of fluorene by alkaline hexacyanoferrate(III) is followed under pseudo-first-order conditions in 50% aqueous acetonitrile. The reaction is first-order both in the oxidant and substrate. The rate dependence on [NaOH] is unity. Hexacyanoferrate(II) retards the reaction. The product of oxidation is fluorenone and the stoichiometry between the substrate and the oxidation is 1:4. A large positive salt effect and specific cation effect are observed. A tentative mechanism accounting for all the observations is envisaged.
