Redox reactions of organic radicals with ferrocene/ferricenium species in aqueous solution. Part 1. Radicals derived from carboxylic acids

Abstract

An investigation is reported of the diminution of the photochemical yield of the carboxyalkylferricenium zwitterion from 4-ferrocenylbutanoate in aqueous solution at pH 9 containing N₂O, by the addition of small amounts of aliphatic acids. The extent is shown to depend both on the rate constant for the reaction with the anion of the hydroxyl radical generated from the photochemical process, and on the redox nature of the resulting radical anion. Both are reported for the anions of nine carboxylic acids, some of which have an hydroxy group in the α-position.