The highest known oxide for iron is Fe₂O₃, and no higher oxides are known beyond Group 7. Although ferrates (VI) are formed in alkaline media, they readily decompose to Fe₂O₃ and O₂.
What is the highest known oxide for iron, and why are no higher oxides of Fe above Fe₂O₃ found, despite the formation of ferrates (VI) in alkaline media?
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The highest known oxide for iron is Fe₂O₃. No higher oxides of iron above Fe₂O₃ are found despite the formation of ferrates (VI) in alkaline media. This limitation is attributed to the stability of Fe₂O₃ and the thermodynamic challenge of forming higher oxides. Ferrates (VI) may exist transiently in alkaline conditions but readily decompose to Fe₂O₃ and O₂, making the isolation of higher iron oxides difficult. The high thermodynamic stability of Fe₂O₃ contributes to its prevalence, overshadowing the transient existence of higher oxides, thereby limiting the discovery of stable iron oxides beyond Fe₂O₃.