Kinetics of oxidation of iron(II) by vanadium(V) under the conditions where VO2+ and decavanadate coexist

The kinetics of the reaction between iron(II) and vanadium(V) have been investigated in the pH range 2.6–4.2 where decavanadates and VO₂⁺ coexist in equilibrium. Under these conditions, the observed kinetic pattern is radically different from the one reported for the reaction in strong acid medium. In the pH range employed, the reaction rate is not appreciably altered by variation in the stoichiometric vanadium(V) concentration due to the operation of the equilibrium between the reactive species, VO₂⁺, and the unreactive species, decavanadates. The reaction, however, obeys first‐order kinetics with respect to Fe(II). In the presence of salicylic acid, which imparts considerable reactivity to iron(II) by reducing the reduction potential of iron(III)/iron(II) couple by forming a stronger complex with iron(III) than iron(II), the kinetic results provide evidence for the participation of decavanadates in the electron transfer. The mechanism under both conditions is discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 535–541, 2000