The net effect is a disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide to create two different oxygen-radical species, with water (H+ + OH−) as a byproduct.
[8] Fenton's reagent is also used in organic synthesis for the hydroxylation of arenes in a radical substitution reaction such as the classical conversion of benzene into phenol.
[10] Fenton's reagent is also widely used in the field of environmental science for water purification and soil remediation.
At a low pH, complexation of Fe2+ also occurs, leading to lower availability of Fe2+ to form reactive oxidative species (OH•).
Whereas at high pH, the reaction slows down due to precipitation of Fe(OH)3, lowering the concentration of the Fe3+ species in solution.
Fe3+ is about 100 times less soluble than Fe2+ in natural water at near-neutral pH, the ferric ion concentration is the limiting factor for the reaction rate.
[16] The Fenton reaction has different implications in biology because it involves the formation of free radicals by chemical species naturally present in the cell under in vivo conditions.
Superoxide ions and transition metals act in a synergistic way in the appearance of free radical damages.