Ferric ion assisted photooxidation of haloacetates

Aqueous solutions containing ferric ions and chloro- or fluoroacetates were photolyzed by light with wavelengths greater than 300 nm. Significant variation in the extent of reaction was observed, with the totally halogenated acetates degraded very little in the course of the experiments. The relative rates of degradation were found to correlate very well with the relative rates of reaction of the haloacetate with the hydroxyl radical.