Mercuric ions influence reactions and intermediates that are
involved in forming chlorine dioxide
from chlorate ions. Addition of mercuric ions to reaction
solutions can aid in understanding
the mechanism and kinetics of this system. Mercuric ions do not
react with aqueous solutions
of chlorine dioxide unless those solutions contain chlorous acid.
This unusual effect has enabled
us to confirm that chlorous acid is an intermediate in the formation of
chlorine dioxide in the
methanol−chlorate reaction. This work discusses the effect of
mercuric ions on solutions
containing various Cl species (chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chlorous
acid, and both chlorine dioxide
and chlorous acid) and on reactions that involve these same species.
The work also explores
the methanol−chlorate reaction in the absence of mercuric ions.
In the initial stage of the process,
chlorine dioxide forms after an induction period, during which an
intermediate rapidly forms,
maximizes in concentration, and then disappears, and a second
intermediate forms and attains
a steady-state concentration. We show by several methods,
including mercuric ion addition,
that the second intermediate is chlorous acid. We have not
conclusively identified the first
intermediate. The increase and decline in its concentration is
accompanied by the development
and disappearance of the solution color (yellow). Although the UV
absorbance behavior of the
system suggests that the intermediate is chlorine, the color of the
solution associated with this
intermediate is not characteristic of solutions containing chlorine at
these concentrations.