Effect of ligands on reactivity of metal cations towards the hydrated electron. Part 1.—The effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

Abstract

The specific rates of reaction of the hydrated electron with 31 EDTA complexes have been measured. EDTA normally decreases by several orders of magnitude the rate of reaction of a given metal cation with e^–_aq relative to the rate of reaction of e^–_aq with the corresponding aquo complex. The results are discussed in terms of different theories for outer sphere reactions; not all the results can be explained by the Marcus theory for hydrated electron reactions.