Abstract The stoichiometry, kinetics and mechanism of the redox reaction of thallic sulphate with acroleine in aqueous sulphuric acid or in aqueous dioxane solutions were studied. The acroleine molecule is oxidised with Tl (III) ions in two consecutive one-electron steps to glyceraldehyde. The corresponding rate equation is-d [Tl (III)]/dt= k [Tl (III)] n [A], where n= 0- 2. The zeroth reaction order with respect to thallic ions is attributed to a slow enolization of ...