Oxidation reaction of [Ni(1,4,7-triazacyclononane)(2)](2+) by [Fe(o-phenanthroline)(3)](3+) in aqueous acidic solution at elevated pressures: determination of the activation and reaction volumes for the Ni(iii)/(ii) couple

The reaction volume corresponding to the self-exchange process of the [Ni(tacn)(2)](3+/2+) couple was determined in aqueous acidic solution. Theoretical equations on the basis of the Mean Spherical Approximation were proposed for the estimation of reaction volumes for M(n+/(n- 1)+) couples in solution, and the calculated reaction volumes were compared with the experimentally estimated values. The activation volume for the [Ni(tacn)(2)](3+/2+) couple was determined in the acidic condition from the cross reaction of [Ni(tacn)(2)](2+) and [Fe(o-phen)(3)](3+) at elevated pressures. The agreement of the experimentally estimated activation volume for the [Ni(tacn)(2)](3+/2+) couple, -8.2 +/- 2.4 cm(3) mol(-1), with the theoretically calculated value, -7.5 cm(3) mol(-1), within the allowed uncertainty (+/-1 cm(3) mol(-1)) indicates that the electron self-exchange reaction of this redox couple obeys the Marcusian behavior in aqueous acidic solution.