Oxidation of hypophosphorous and phosphorous acids

The oxidations of hypophosphorous acid, reaction (1), and of phosphorous acid, reaction (2), have been studied .  

For the main reactions (1) and (2), the chain mechanism involves steps (5)-(ll) for hypophosphorous acid and analogous steps for phosphorous acid  

It is necessary to assume equal rates of reaction for H3PO2 and H2POJ and for H2PO3 and HPOj in (6). With such an assumption, and exclusion of all other possible termination reactions, rate coefficients for (6) can be deduced if values for (5) are accepted (Table 22). If, in addition, reaction (10) is assumed to have a very small activation energy, activation energies for (5), (6) and (9) can be calculated, E, and E, respectively (see Table 23). The observed activation 

RATE COEFFICIENTS OBSERVED AND DEDUCED FOR OXIDATION OF HYPOPHOSPHOROUS AND PHOSPHOROUS ACIDS BY 

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