Cation-independent electron transfer between ferricyanide and ferrocyanide ions in aqueous solution.

Electron transfer between Fe(CN)(6)(3-) and Fe(CN)(6)(4-) in homogeneous aqueous solution with K(+) as the counterion normally proceeds almost exclusively by a K(+)-catalyzed pathway, but this can be suppressed, and the direct Fe(CN)(6)(3)(-)-Fe(CN)(6)(4-) electron transfer path exposed, by complexing the K(+) with crypt-2.2.2 or 18-crown-6. Fe((13)CN)(6)(4-)-NMR line broadening measurements using either crypt-2.2.2 or (with extrapolation to zero uncomplexed [K(+)]) 18-crown-6 gave consistent values for the rate constant and activation volume (k(0) = (2.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) L mol(-1) s(-1) and Delta V(0) = -11.3 +/- 0.3 cm(3) mol(-1), respectively, at 25 degrees C and ionic strength I = 0.2 mol L(-1)) for the uncatalyzed electron transfer path. These values conform well to predictions based on Marcus theory. When [K(+)] was controlled with 18-crown-6, the observed rate constant k(ex) was a linear function of uncomplexed [K(+)], giving k(K) = (4.3 +/- 0.1) x 10(4) L(2) mol(-2) s(-1) at 25 degrees C and I = 0.26 mol L(-1) for the K(+)-catalyzed pathway. When no complexing agent was present, k(ex) was roughly proportional to [K(+)](total), but the corresponding rate constant k(K)' (=k(ex)/[K(+)](total)) was about 60% larger than k(K), evidently because ion pairing by hydrated K(+) lowered the anion-anion repulsions. Ionic strength as such had only a small effect on k(0), k(K), and k(K)'. The rate constants commonly cited in the literature for the Fe(CN)(6)(3-/4-) self-exchange reaction are in fact k(K)'[K(+)](total) values for typical experimental [K(+)](total) levels.