Disulfate Ion as an Intermediate to Sulfuric Acid in Acid Rain Formation

The oxidation of the bisulfite ion by dissolved oxygen to produce sulfate ion involves the formation of a previously undetected intermediate. This intermediate has a fairly strong Raman band at 1090 wave numbers and a weak Raman band at 740 wave numbers, both of which are probably due to sulfur-oxygen stretches. The intermediate is proposed to be the disulfate ion S(2)O(7)(2-), which hydrolyzes into H(+) and either SO(4)(2-) or HSO(4)(2-) with a half-life of about 52 seconds at 25 degrees C.