Fenton chemistry at aqueous interfaces
- Edited by Richard J. Saykally, University of California, Berkeley, CA, and approved December 9, 2013 (received for review August 6, 2013)
Significance
The Fenton reaction, Fe2+ + H2O2, plays fundamental roles in vivo and in advanced oxidation processes. Its mechanism and the identity of the intermediates involved, however, remain controversial. Here we present direct, mass-specific evidence of the prompt formation of mono- and poly-iron FeIV=O (ferryl) species on the surface of aqueous FeCl2 microjets exposed to gaseous H2O2 or O3 beams. Remarkably, Fe2+ ions at the aqueous surface react with H2O2 and O3 >103times faster than Fe(H2O)62+ in bulk water. Our results suggest that interfacial Fenton and Fenton-like chemistries could play a more significant role than hitherto envisioned.
Abstract
In a fundamental process throughout nature, reduced iron unleashes the oxidative power of hydrogen peroxide into reactive intermediates. However, notwithstanding much work, the mechanism by which Fe2+catalyzes H2O2 oxidations and the identity of the participating intermediates remain controversial. Here we report the prompt formation of O=FeIVCl3− and chloride-bridged di-iron O=FeIV·Cl·FeIICl4− and O=FeIV·Cl·FeIIICl5− ferryl species, in addition to FeIIICl4−, on the surface of aqueous FeCl2 microjets exposed to gaseous H2O2 or O3 beams for <50 μs. The unambiguous identification of such species in situ via online electrospray mass spectrometry let us investigate their individual dependences on Fe2+, H2O2, O3, and H+ concentrations, and their responses to tert-butanol (an ·OH scavenger) and DMSO (an O-atom acceptor) cosolutes. We found that (i) mass spectra are not affected by excess tert-butanol, i.e., the detected species are primary products whose formation does not involve ·OH radicals, and (ii) the di-iron ferryls, but not O=FeIVCl3−, can be fully quenched by DMSO under present conditions. We infer that interfacial Fe(H2O)n2+ ions react with H2O2 and O3 >103 times faster than Fe(H2O)62+ in bulk water via a process that favors inner-sphere two-electron O-atom over outer-sphere one-electron transfers. The higher reactivity of di-iron ferryls vs. O=FeIVCl3− as O-atom donors implicates the electronic coupling of mixed-valence iron centers in the weakening of the FeIV–O bond in poly-iron ferryl species.
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