Use of Nitrous Oxide to discriminate between the Forms of Hydrogen Atoms (H^• and H₂ ⁺ ?) produced by γ-Irradiation of Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

IN 1958 Proskurnin and Chernova¹ reported that G(Fe³⁺) for oxygen-free solutions of ferrous sulphate saturated with nitrous oxide in 0.8 N sulphuric acid irradiated with cobalt-60 γ-rays has a value of between 12 and 13 which depends on the concentration of ferrous ion. This is larger than the value of 8.2 obtained for completely degassed solutions^2,3 and Proskurnin and Chernova suggested that the difference might be due to the occurrence of reactions (1) and (2): However, since every hydrogen atom generated in a completely degassed solution of ferrous sulphate in 0.8 N sulphuric acid always oxidizes a ferrous ion according to reaction (3a) or (3b) or to the reaction sequence (3c): it is not clear why the presence of nitrous oxide should have any effect on G(Fe³⁺).