Ceric sulphate Ce(SO₄)₂ is another powerful oxidizing agent which is evident form its reduction potential value. In fact, a glance at the reduction potential values, reveals that ceric sulphate is a stronger oxidizing agent than potassium dichromate in acidic medium but slightly poor oxidizing agent over acidified potassium permanganate solution. Even then ceric sulphate has some advantage over other oxidizing agents as discussed below.

Advantages of Ceric Sulphate over acidified KMnO₄

The main advantage of ceric sulphate as an oxidizing agent over acidic KMnO₄ is as follows:

(i)    Ceric sulphate solutions are quite stable over prolonged periods; remain unaffected by light or even of boiling, while KMnO₄ solution are unstable.

(ii)    Ceric suphate solution can be titrated against reducing agents even in high concentration of hydrochloric acid, while it is not possible with KMnO₄.

(iii)    0.1 N ceric sulphate solution is not highly coloured as compared to 0.1 N KMnO₄. Therefore, it is easier to note down burette reading with ceric sulphate solution than with KMnO₄ solution.

(iv)    Since ceric sulphate on reduction changes to cerous sulphate, there is only one electron change as :

                                                       Ce⁴⁺ + e^-  →   Ce³⁺

Therefore, equivalent weight of a ceric salt is the same as its molecular weight.

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