New Pathways for Chlorine Dioxide Decomposition in Basic Solution

The product distribution from the decay of chlorine dioxide in basic solution changes as the ClO(2) concentration decreases. While disproportionation reactions that give equal amounts of ClO(2)(-) and ClO(3)(-) dominate the stoichiometry at millimolar or higher levels of ClO(2), the ratio of ClO(2)(-) to ClO(3)(-) formed increases significantly at micromolar ClO(2) levels. Kinetic evidence shows three concurrent pathways that all exhibit a first-order dependence in [OH(-)] but have variable order in [ClO(2)]. Pathway 1 is a disproportionation reaction that is first order in [ClO(2)]. Pathway 2, a previously unknown reaction, is also first order in [ClO(2)] but forms ClO(2)(-) as the only chlorine-containing product. Pathway 3 is second order in [ClO(2)] and generates equal amounts of ClO(2)(-) and ClO(3)(-). A Cl(2)O(4) intermediate is proposed for this path. At high concentrations of ClO(2), pathway 3 causes the overall ClO(3)(-) yield to approach the overall yield of ClO(2)(-). Pathway 2 is attributed to OH(-) attack on an oxygen atom of ClO(2) that leads to peroxide intermediates and yields ClO(2)(-) and O(2) as products. This pathway is important at low levels of ClO(2).