Kinetics of Electron Transfer between Ce(IV) Nitrate and Iron(II) Complexes.

The rate constants for the oxidation of some 1,10- phenanthroline and 2,2’-bipyridine complexes of iron(II) by cerium(IV) in nitrate media are reported. In the acidity range investigated (0.05–2.0 M), the predominant reactive species is Ce4+, although CeOH3+ also contributes to the reaction progress. The results are shown to be consistent with the Marcus theory for outer-sphere electrontransfer reactions, and the intrinsic parameter for Ce4+/3+ couple was estimated.