Pulse radiolysis studies of iron(I) in aqueous solutions

Abstract

The absorption spectrum and decay kinetic of the products of the reactions of iron(II) ions with hydrated electrons and hydrogen atoms have been studied in aqueous solution using pule-radiolysis techniques. Iron(I) is formed by reaction with hydrated electrons and its absorption spectrum is reported and discussed. The formation of molecular hydrogen by reaction of Fe⁺ with water is suppressed by other solutes present in the solutions. In acidic solutions containing [SO₄]^2–, the intermediates formed in the reaction with H atoms decay by a first-order process and produce molecular hydrogen, but the rate of their decay does not depend only on the oxonium ion concentration but also on intermolecular rearrangement in the [FeSO₄–H] complex.