The kinetics of decay of veratryl alcohol radical cation, generated by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate induced oxidation of veratryl alcohol, have been followed spectrophotometrically in a stopped-flow apparatus. In acidic aqueous acetonitrile the radical cation was found to decay by a first-order process, due to deprotonation from the a-carbon leading to an a-hydroxybenzyl radical with the rate constant of 17.1 +/- 0.5 s(-1). This value is in full agreement with those obtained by pulse radiolysis studies but much lower than the value (1.2 x 10(3)s(-1)) indirectly determined by EPR experiments. The implications of these results with respect to the possible role of veratryl alcohol as a mediator in the oxidative biodegradation of lignin catalysed by lignin peroxidase are discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.