The kinetics of oxidation of hydroquinone (H 2 Q) by a l-oxo-bridged diiron(III,III) complex, ½Fe 2 ðl-OÞ-ðphenÞ 4 ðH 2 OÞ 2 4þ (1) has been investigated in aqueous media at 25.0°C in presence of an excess of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). The overall redox rate increases with increase in [H + ]. The title complex (1) and its conjugate bases, [Fe 2 ðl-OÞðphenÞ 4 ðH 2 OÞ(OH) 3þ (2) and [Fe 2 ðl-OÞðphenÞ 4 ðOHÞ 2 2þ (3), participate in the reaction with H 2 Q as the only kinetically reactive reducing species. Rate constants (in dm 3 mol )1 s )1 ) for the parallel reactions ð1Þ þ H 2 Q À! Products; ð2Þ þ H 2 Q À! Products and that for ð3Þ þ H 2 Q À! Products are, respectively, 500±40, 100±6 and 30±2. Substantial rate retardation in D 2 O media in comparison to that in H 2 O media suggests that electron transfer is coupled with proton movements in the rate-determining step.