Potassium ferrate. K2FeO4, is found to oxidize phenol in aqueous solution (5.5±pH±10) by a process which is second order in both reactants; -d[Fevt]/dt=ki[FeVI][phenol], kI = 107M−1s−1. Product analysis by HPLC showed a mixture of hydroxylated products, principally paraquinone. and biphenols that indicate that oxidation of phenol occurs by both one-electron and two-electron pathways. The two-electron oxidant. producing both para- and ortho-hydroxylated phenols is considered to be ferrate(V) which is itself produced by the initial one-electron reduction of ferrate(VI). The rate of ferrate(V) reaction with phenol was determined by pre-mix stopped flow pulse-radiolysis and found to be k7 = (3.8±0.4)±105M−1s−1.