Oxidation State in

The more noble metals (for example copper, mercury and silver) can form oxides, and exhibit variable oxidation state in such compounds (for example CU2O, CuO), but it is not easy to prepare such oxides by direct action of oxygen on the metal, and elevated temperatures are necessary. Moreover, in the case of silver and mercury, loss of oxygen from the oxide by heating is easy. The oxidesare, however, basic (for example Ag20 - Ag, CuO - Cu in acids). 

Scandium is not an uncommon element, but is difficult to extract. The only oxidation state in its compounds is -I- 3, where it has formally lost the 3d 4s electrons, and it shows virtually no transition characteristics. In fact, its chemistry is very similar to that of aluminium (for example hydrous oxide SC2O3, amphoteric forms a complex [ScFg] chloride SCCI3 hydrolysed by water). 

Experiments seem to show that the element possesses a moderately stable dipositive (11) oxidation state in addition to the tripositive (111) oxidation state, which is characteristic of the actinide elements. 

Alkali metal haHdes can be volatile at incineration temperatures. Rapid quenching of volatile salts results in the formation of a submicrometer aerosol which must be removed or else exhaust stack opacity is likely to exceed allowed limits. Sulfates have low volatiHty and should end up in the ash. Alkaline earths also form basic oxides. Calcium is the most common and sulfates are formed ahead of haHdes. Calcium carbonate is not stable at incineration temperatures (see Calcium compounds). Transition metals are more likely to form an oxide ash. Iron (qv), for example, forms ferric oxide in preference to haHdes, sulfates, or carbonates. SiHca and alumina form complexes with the basic oxides, eg, alkaH metals, alkaline earths, and some transition-metal oxidation states, in the ash. 

Chemical appHcations of Mn ssbauer spectroscopy are broad (291—293) determination of electron configurations and assignment of oxidation states in stmctural chemistry polymer properties studies of surface chemistry, corrosion, and catalysis and metal-atom bonding in biochemical systems. There are also important appHcations to materials science and metallurgy (294,295) (see Surface and interface analysis). 

Metal-Catalyzed Oxidation. Trace quantities of transition metal ions catalyze the decomposition of hydroperoxides to radical species and greatiy accelerate the rate of oxidation. Most effective are those metal ions that undergo one-electron transfer reactions, eg, copper, iron, cobalt, and manganese ions (9). The metal catalyst is an active hydroperoxide decomposer in both its higher and its lower oxidation states. In the overall reaction, two molecules of hydroperoxide decompose to peroxy and alkoxy radicals (eq. 5). 

Physical piopeities of cadmium aie listed in Table 1. Its electionic stmctuie is, and its oxidation state in almost all of its... 

Step 3 A series of redox reactions converts chromium from the 4-1- oxidation state in HCrOg to the 3-1-oxidation state. 

A more complete compilation is summarized in Fig. 11.8. It is instructive to use these data to derive a plot of volt equivalent versus oxidation state in basic solution and to compare this with Fig. 11.9 which refers to aeidic solutions. 

The chemistry of hafnium has not received the same attention as that of titanium or zirconium, but it is clear that its behaviour follows that of zirconium very closely indeed with only minor differences in such properties as solubility and volatility being apparent in most of their compounds. The most important oxidation state in the chemistry of these elements is the group oxidation state of +4. This is too high to be ionic, but zirconium and hafnium, being larger, have oxides which are more basic than that of titanium and give rise to a more extensive and less-hydrolysed aqueous chemistry. In this oxidation state, particularly in the case of the dioxide and tetrachloride, titanium shows many similarities with tin which is of much the same size. A large... 

Because of the differing focus of interest in these elements their chemistries have not developed in parallel and the data on which strict comparisons might be based are not always available. Nevertheless many of the similarities and contrasts expected in the chemistry of transition elements are evident in this triad. The relative stabilities of different oxidation states in aqueous, acidic solutions are summarized in Table 24.2 and Fig. 24.1. 

Ruthenium and osmium have no oxides comparable to those of iron and, indeed, the lowest oxidation state in which they form oxides is -t-4. RUO2 is a blue to black solid, obtained by direct action of the elements at 1000°C, and has the rutile (p. 961) structure. The intense colour has been suggested as arising from the presence of small amounts of Ru in another oxidation state, possibly - -3. 0s02 is a yellowish-brown solid, usually prepared by heating the metal at 650°C in NO. It, too, has the rutile structure. 

By heating the metal with appropriate oxides or carbonates of alkali or alkaline earth metals, a number of mixed oxides of Ru and Os have been made. They include NasOs Og, LifiOs Og and the ruthenites , M Ru 03, in all of which the metal is situated in octahedral sites of an oxide lattice. Ru (octahedral) has now also been established by Ru Mdssbauer spectroscopy as a common stable oxidation state in mixed oxides such as Na3Ru 04, Na4Ru2 07, and the ordered perovskite-type phases M Ln Ru Og. 

Oxidation states found only in solids are given in brackets numbers in bold indicate the most stable oxidation states in aqueous solution. Colours refer to aqueous solutions ... 

This state is found for the six elements Am and Cf No, though in aqueous solution only for Fm, Md and No. However, for No, alone amongst all the f-series elements, it is the normal oxidation state in aqueous solution. The greater stabilization of the +2 state at the end of the actinides as compared to that at the end of the lanthanides which this implies, has been taken " to indicate a greater separation between the 5f and 6d than between the 4f and 5d orbitals at the ends of the two series. This is the reverse of the situation found at the beginnings of the series (p. 1266). 

Reports of the observation of the 4-1 oxidation state in aqueous solutions of Md have not been substantiated despite attempts in several major laboratories, and it has been concluded that Md does not exist in either aqueous or ethanolic solutions. 

The halogens, except fluorine, can be oxidized to positive oxidation states. Most commonly you will encounter these positive oxidation states in a set of compounds called halogen oxyacids and their ions. 

However, Schwarz s suggestion to focus on bonded atoms rather than neutral atoms also runs into a major problem because the atoms of any element typically show a large variety of oxidation states. For example, atoms of chlorine occur in the zero oxidation state in the chlorine molecule, the —1 state in NaCl, +1 in HOC1, +3 in HC102, +5 in HCIO3, and +7 in HCIO4. 

ESCA data support a rhodium(II) oxidation state in these compounds. Therefore, the Rh 3d5//2 binding energy is c. 309.2 eV in simple car-boxylates, midway between those in typical rhodium(I) complexes (c. 308.5 eV) and rhodium(III) complexes (c. 310.7 eV) [72],... 

On this basis, the bent nitrogens with square pyramidal structures like Ir(NO)Cl2(PPh3)2 are assigned to the M111 (d6) oxidation state in keeping with other examples of this stereochemistry, such as RhCH3I2(PPh3)2. 

Complexes of cations in unstable oxidation states in aqueous solutions as studied by pulse radiolysis. D. Meyerstein, Acc. Chem, Res., 1978,11,43-48 (95). 

The existence of plutonium with an oxidation state of V (or VI) in neutral solutions or at high pH and in the presence of carbonate was previously observed (51). It has also been suggested that Pu(V) is the dominant oxidation state in sea-water and that Pu(VI) is rapidly reduced to Pu(V) in these waters (52). 

A second source of plutonium, dispersed more locally, is liquid effluent from fuel reprocessing facilities. One such is the fuel reprocessing plant at Windscale, Cumbria in the United Kingdom where liquid waste is released to the Irish Sea(6). Chemical analysis of this effluent shows that about one percent or less of the plutonium is in an oxidized form before it contacts the marine water(7). Approximately 95 percent of the plutonium rapidly adsorbs to particulate matter after discharge and deposits on the seabed while 5 percent is removed from the area as a soluble component ). Because this source provided concentrations that were readily detected, pioneering field research into plutonium oxidation states in the marine environment was conducted at this location. 

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