Using either normal formic acid in
H218O
or 18O‐labeled formic acid in
H216O
, the following results were obtained: the oxygen atoms of formic acid are homogeneously exchanged with water; the strongly bound intermediate however does not exchange oxygen with water; the 18O‐labeled intermediate is oxidized in
H216O
to
C18O16O
by a three‐electron process; direct oxidation of
HC16O16OH
in
H218O
delivers
C16O16O
.