ISOTOPE-EXCHANGE BETWEEN IRON(II) OR IRON(III) HYDROXIDE AND HTO WATER IN THE EQUILIBRIUM STATE

Observing the OT-for-OH exchange reaction between iron(II or III) hydr oxide and tritiated water (HTO) leads to the following results: (1) is otope exchange as ''atomic group'' occurred between the OH group in ea ch iron hydroxide (i.e., Fe(OH)(2) or Fe(OH)(3)) and OT- resulted from the dissociation of HTO; (2) the ratio of the reactivity of the hydro xides is roughly [iron(III) hydroxide] : [iron(II) hydroxide] = 1.2 : 1.0 and the result is related to a difference in electronegativity bet ween Fe2+ and Fe3+. (In other words, if the reactivity depends on the number of the charge, the ratio should be 1.5 : 1.0).