Removal of peroxides with ferrous sulfate:
ROOH + 2Fe<sup>2+</sup> + 2H<sup>+</sup> --> ROH + 2Fe<sup>2+</sup> + H<sub>2</sub>O
A solution of 6 g of FeSO4 · 7H2O, 6 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid, and 11 mL of water is stirred with 1 L of water-insoluble solvent until the
solvent no longer gives a positive test for peroxides. Usually only a few minutes are required.
Diacyl peroxides can be destroyed by this reagent as well as by aqueous sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium hydroxide, or ammonia. However, diacyl
peroxides with low solubility in water, such as dibenzoyl peroxide, react very slowly. A better reagent is a solution of sodium iodide or potassium
iodide in glacial acetic acid. |