JIDE IGE, J. FOLORUNSO OJO, and OLUSEGUN OLUBUYIDE. Can. J. Chem. 57.2065Chem. 57. (1979. The rates of the oxidation of tris-(1,lO-phenanthroline)iron(II) by chlorine and bromine, and of the reduction of tris-(1,lO-phenanthroline)iron(III) by iodide ions have been measured at ionic strength I = 1.0 mol dm-3 (LiCIO,). All the reactions obey second-order rate law:The activation parameters for the reactions are: Fe(Phen)32+/Br,: AH* = (64.2 + 3.2) kJ mol-', AS* = -(24.9 + 1.5) J mol-' K-'. Fe(Phen)33+/I-:AH* = (39.8 t 2.1) kJ mol-', AS* = -(19.7 + 0.8) J mol-I K-'.The reactions of tris-(1,lO-phenanthroline)iron(II) with chlorine and bromine are unaffected by chloride, bromide, and acid. The proposed mechanism for these reactions involves a series of one-electron changes, with the species X,-(X = CI, Br) as reaction intermediates, since good linear free energy correlations for the primary step, resulting in the formation of X2-, are obtained. The reduction of tris-(1,lO-phenanthroline)iron(III) by iodide ions is catalysed by bromide and chloride ions, whereas the reduction of aquoiron(II1) by iodide ions is known to be inhibited by bromide and chloride ions. A mechanistic interpretation of this observation is suggested. [Traduit par le journal]