Oxidation State 10 Exists

Abstract In a recent paper, Wang et al. found an iridium‐containing compound with a formal oxidation state of 9. This is the highest oxidation state ever found in a stable compound. To learn if this is the highest chemical oxidation state possible, Kohn–Sham density functional theory was used to study various compounds, including PdO 4 2+ , PtO 4 2+ , PtO 3 F 2 2+ , PtO 4 OH + , PtO 5 , and PtO 4 SH + , in which the metal has an oxidation state of 10. It was found that PtO 4 2+ has a metastable state that is kinetically stable with a barrier height for decomposition of 31 kcal mol −1 and a calculated lifetime of 0.9 years. All other compounds studied would readily decompose to lower oxidation states.