Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.105, No.27, 6637-6645, 2001
Tellurium(V). A pulse radiolysis study
Four different tellurium(V) oxoradicals, assumed to be H2TeO4-, TeO3-, HTeo(4)(2-), and TeO43-, were detected by the pulse radiolysis technique. H2TeO4- is the product of the reaction of OH with HTeO3-, whereas HTeo(4)(2-) and TeO43- arise by reactions of OH and O- with the TeO32-. TeO3- is a secondary product formed by dehydration of H2TeO4-, a process catalyzed by HTeO3-. The same tellurium(V) species except H2TeO4- are formed by reaction of the hydrated electron with H6TeO6, HSTeO6-, and H4TeO62-. The spectra, kinetics of the reactions of the tellurium(V) species, the acidity constant of HTeO42-(similar to 10(-13)), and the apparent acidity constant of TeO3- (10(-10)) have been measured. The standard Gibbs energies of formation Delta (f)G(ao)degrees (TeO3-) = -214 kJ/mol, Delta (f)G(ao)degrees (HTeO42-) = -394 kJ/mol, and Delta (f)G(ao)degrees (TeO43-) = -319 kJ/mol were determined from the rate constants for the forward and reverse reactions TeO32- + O- reversible arrow Teo(4)(3-) and TeO32- + OH reversible arrow HTeO42-, combined with the acidity constants of TeO3- and HTeO42- and the standard Gibbs energy of formation of OH, O-, and TeO32-. TeO3- is a strong reducing agent (E-o(red) = -0.40 V), which appears to reduce O-2, as well as a strong oxidant (E-o(ox) = 1.74 V), oxidizing CO32- to CO3-.