It is well documented that the traditional Fenton reagent (i.e., the combination of Fe(II) and HO) produces hydroxyl radical (OH) under acidic conditions, while at near-neutral pH the reactive intermediate converts to ferryl ion (Fe(IV)) that can oxidize sulfoxides to produce corresponding sulfones, markedly differing from their OH-induced products. However, it remains unclear whether Fe(IV) is generated in the Fe(II) activated peroxydisulfate (PDS) process, where sulfate radical (SO) is long recognized as the dominant intermediate in literature. Here we demonstrated that SO oxidized methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO, a model sulfoxide) to produce biphenyl compounds rather than methyl phenyl sulfone (PMSO). Interestingly, the formation of PMSO was observed when PMSO was treated by the Fe(II)/PDS system over a wide pH range, and the yields of PMSO were quantified to be ∼100% at acidic pH 3-5. The identification of Fe(IV) in the Fe(II)/PDS system could also reasonably explain the literature results on alcohol scavenging effect and ESR spectra analysis. Further, a Fe(IV)-based kinetic model was shown to accurately simulate the experimental data. This work urges re-evaluation of the Fe(II)/PDS system for environmental decontamination, given that Fe(IV) would have different reactivity toward environmental contaminants compared with SO and/or OH.

No abstract

Bismuth tri-iodide (BiI3) is an intermediate band gap semiconductor with potential for room temperature gamma-ray detection applications. Remarkably, very different band gap characteristics and values of BiI3 have been reported in literature, which may be attributed to its complicated layered structure with strongly bound BiI6 octahedra held together by weak van der Waals interactions. Here, to resolve this discrepancy, the band gap of BiI3 was characterized through optical and computational methods and differences among previously reported values are discussed. Unpolarized transmittance and reflectance spectra in the visible to near ultraviolet (UV-Vis) range at room temperature yielded an indirect band gap of 1.67 ± 0.09 eV, while spectroscopic ellipsometry detected a direct band gap at 1.96 ± 0.05 eV and higher energy critical point features. The discrepancy between the UV-Vis and ellipsometry results originates from the low optical absorption coefficients (α ∼ 102 cm−1) of BiI3 that renders reflection-based ellipsometry insensitive to the indirect gap for this material. Further, electronic-structure calculations of the band structure by density functional theory methods are also consistent with the presence of an indirect band gap of 1.55 eV in BiI3. Based on this, an indirect band gap with a value of 1.67 ± 0.09 eV is considered to best represent the band gap structure and value for single crystal BiI3.

High-valent iron(IV)−oxo complexes are of great significance as reactive intermediates implicated in diverse chemical and biological systems. The aqueous iron(IV)−oxo complex (Fe aq IV O 2+ ) is the simplest but one of the most powerful ferryl ion species, which possesses a high-spin state, high reduction potential, and long lifetime. It has been well documented that Fe aq IV O 2+ reacts with organic compounds through various pathways (hydrogen-atom, hydride, oxygen-atom, and electron transfer as well as electrophilic addition) at moderate reaction rates and show selective reactivity toward inorganic ions prevailing in natural water, which single out Fe aq IV O 2+ as a superior candidate for oxidative water treatment. This review provides state-of-the-art knowledge on the chemical properties and oxidation mechanism and kinetics of Fe aq IV O 2+ , with special attention to the similarities and differences to two representative free radicals (hydroxyl radical and sulfate radical). Moreover, the prospective role of Fe aq IV O 2+ in Fe aq 2+ activation-initiated advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has been intensively investigated over the past 20 years, which has significantly challenged the conventional recognition that free radicals dominated in these AOPs. The latest progress in identifying the contribution of Fe aq IV O 2+ in Fe aq 2+ -based AOPs is thereby reviewed, highlighting controversies on the nature of the reactive oxidants formed in several Fe aq 2+ activated peroxide and oxyacid processes. Finally, future perspectives for advancing the evaluation of Fe aq IV O 2+ reactivity from an engineering viewpoint are proposed.

have been measured at room temperature. The frequencies of the Raman modes, obtained from first-principles calculations, for Bi 2 Ti 2 O 7 are presented for comparison. The spectra of the four samples are similar and agree well with the first-principles calculations. Each bismuth pyrochlore shows more than the six modes expected for the ideal pyrochlore structure. The analysis shows that many of the additional modes could be explained as the relaxation of the selection rules due to the displacive disorder. The Raman modes are assigned by reference to spectra of other pyrochlore materials, comparison to infrared data, and the ab initio calculations.