Oxidation of metallic iron by potassium superoxide leads to the formation of ferrate(V). Under room temperature this compound is unstable and instantly decomposes by disproportionation mechanism. Grinding the substance into powder accelerates the decomposition process.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.