Use of Ozone to Prepare Silver Oxides

The possible use of ozone to produce higher oxides was analyzed thermodynamically. Because the activity of oxygen in ozone is ∼10 18 at room temperature and ∼10 8 at 773 K, ozone may react with metals to yield higher‐oxidation‐state products than does an ambient pressure of pure oxygen. In agreement with this thermodynamic prediction, silver oxides (AgO and Ag 2 O) were synthesized experimentally by blowing a gas mixture of 6 vol% ozone and oxygen through a water‐cooled lance. Neither Ag 3 O 4 nor Ag 2 O 3 was detected. Slow oxygen diffusion into a metal and/or reaction products and decomposition of unstable oxides that are formed successively are obstacles to practical applications of syntheses via ozone oxidation.