Oxidation of the mercurous ion by peroxidase

The kinetics of oxidation of the mercurous ion by peroxidase have been measured by following the disappearance of mercurous ion using cold-vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy. Pseudo-first-order kinetics are observed with respect to mercurous ion, and the pseudo-first-order rate constants are linearly related to peroxidase concentration, showing first-order dependence on peroxidase. This behaviour is identical to oxidation of elemental mercury, and the second-order rate constant, 1.44 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 at 23 °C, is also, within experimental error, the same as that for elemental mercury oxidation. The data are interpreted in terms of peroxidase-induced disproportionation of the mercurous dimer, followed by two-electron oxidation of zero-valent mercury.