ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Solution properties of iron(III) complexes with 5-fluorosalicylic acid — spectra, speciation, and redox stability

Rastislav Šípoš, Jozef Šima, Pavol Tarapčík, and Béla Gyurcsik

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Slovak University of Technology, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia

E-mail: sipos.rastislav@stuba.sk

Received: 18 December 2007  Revised: 26 February 2008  Accepted: 18 March 2008

Abstract: Iron(III)-5-fluorosalicylic acid systems were investigated in water by pH potentiometry combined with UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The data revealed that stable aquated mono-, bis-, and tris(5-fluorosalicylato) iron(III) complexes are formed together with their monohydroxo and dihydroxo analogues. The stability constants of all present iron(III) species were calculated. Based on pH and the metal: ligand ratio dependent distribution of the species, electronic absorption spectra of the complexes in the visible region were obtained. Redox stability was monitored as an ability to undergo both spontaneous and photoinduced reduction of iron(III) to iron(II). Complexes do not undergo any redox changes when in dark neither in methanol nor in water. While aqueous solutions of complexes are stable under the influence of incident visible radiation, steady-state irradiation of the methanolic systems by visible light led to photoreduction of iron(III) to iron(II), the quantum yield of iron(II) photoformation was determined.

Keywords: iron(III) complexes - 5-fluorosalicylic acid - spectra - speciation - photoredox chemistry

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-008-0061-8

Chemical Papers 62 (5) 496–503 (2008)