The kinetics of oxidation of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol by potassium diperiodatocuprate (III) has been studied spectrophotometrically in alkaline medium. The order in [Cu(III)] is found to be unity and that in alcohol to be 1.3. The rate increases with increasing in [OH-] and decreases with increasing in [KIO4]. There is a pos. salt effect of addition of KNO3. Under the protection of nitrogen gas, the reaction system can induce polymerisation of acrylamide. A plausible mechanism involving free radicals has been proposed. The activation parameters of the rate determing step have been calculated

Key words: SPECTROPHOTOMETRY, REACTION MECHANISM, REACTION KINETICS, COPPER COMPLEX, KINETICS EQUATIONS, IODIC ACID, ACTIVATION ENERGY, REACTION RATE, TETRAHYDROFURAN P, FURANMETHANOL P