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 electron transfer reactions, and the intrinsic parameter for Ce^4+/3+ couple was estimated.