S2O8 2-+ C2O4 2-⇄ S2O8 3•-+ C2O4 •- ∆G 0 = 83 kJ/mol (6) In principle, the initiation of the S2O8 2-/C2O4 2-autocatalytic reaction should be possible by either the one-electron electrochemical reduction of S2O8 or by the one-electron oxidation of C2O4 2-; an idea initially proposed in 1980 by A. J. Bard to one of the authors (HSW). However, the direct reduction of S2O8 2-and oxidation of C2O4 2-at an electrode both occur by the rapid overall transfer of two electrons, preventing the formation in solution of either SO4 •-or CO2 •- necessary to initiate the autocatalytic sequence, eqs 2 and 3, vide infra. As such, and to the best of our knowledge, the electrochemical initiation of the S2O8 2-/C2O4 2-autocatalytic reaction has not been previously reported.