Degradation mechanisms of geosmin and 2-MIB during UV photolysis and UV/chlorine reactions

We conducted chlorination, UV photolysis, and UV/chlorin reactions to investigate the intermediate formation and degradation mechanisms of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) in water. Chlorination hardly removed geosmin and 2-MIB, while the UV/chlorine reaction at 254 nm completely removed geosmin and 2-MIB within 40 min and 1 h, respectively, with lesser removals of both compounds during UV photolysis. The kinetics during both UV photolysis and UV/chlorine reactions followed a pseudo first-order reaction. Chloroform was found as a chlorinated intermediate during the UV/chlorine reaction of both geosmin and 2-MIB. The pH affected both the degradation and chloroform production during the UV/chlorine reaction. The open ring and dehydration intermediates identified during UV/chlorine reactions were 1,4-dimethyl-adamantane, and 1,3-dimethyl-adamantane from geosmin, 2-methylenebornane, and 2-methyl-2-bornene from 2-MIB, respectively. Additionally, 2-methyl-3-pentanol, 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene, 4-methyl-2-heptanone, and 1,1-dichloro-2,4-dimethyl-1-heptane were newly identified intermediates from UV/chlorine reactions of both geosmin and 2-MIB. These intermediates were degraded as the reaction progressed. We proposed possible degradation pathways during the UV photolysis and UV/chlorine reactions of both compounds using the identified intermediates.

Use of chemical dosimetry for comparison of ultrasound and ionizing radiation effects on cavitation

A comparison of the effects of ultrasound produced by low- and high-frequency ultrasonic apparatuses upon biological systems is one of the basic problems when studying ultrasound cavitation effects. One possibility for how to compare these effects is the indirect method which uses well-known physical quantities characterizing the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter and which also converts these quantities to one common physical quantity. The comparison was performed with two methods applied to the chemical dosimetry of ionizing radiation. The first method employed a two-component dosimeter which is composed of 50 % chloroform and 50 % re-distilled water (i.e. Taplin dosimeter). The other method used a modified iodide dosimeter prepared from a 0.5 M potassium iodide solution. After irradiation or ultrasound exposure, measurable chemical changes occurred in both dosimeters. The longer the exposure, the greater the chemical changes. These effects are described by the relationship of these changes versus the exposure times in both dosimeters. The UZD 21 ultrasonic disintegrator (with a frequency of 20 kHz, 50 % power output) was used as a low-frequency ultrasound source, and the BTL-07 therapeutic instrument (with a frequency of 1 MHz and intensity of 2 W/cm2) was used as a high-frequency cavitation ultrasound source. For comparison, a 60 Co gamma source was applied (60 Co, gamma energies of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV, activity of 14 PBq). Results of this study have demonstrated that the sonochemical products are generated during exposure in the exposed samples of both dosimeters for all apparatuses used. The amount of these products depends linearly upon the exposure time. The resulting cavitation effects were recalculated to a gray-equivalent dose (the proposed unit is cavitation gray [cavitGy]) based on the sonochemical effects compared to the effects of ionizing radiation from the 60 Co source.

Direct VUV photolysis of chlorinated methanes and their mixtures in an oxygen stream using an ozone producing low-pressure mercury vapour lamp

The gas-phase photooxidations of CCl(4), CHCl(3), CH(2)Cl(2) and their binary mixtures in an O(2) stream were studied in a flow reactor under various experimental conditions using a low-pressure mercury lamp as light source covered with a high-purity silica sleeve being used. The 184.9 nm VUV irradiation emitted is responsible for the Cl-C bond rupture in the chlorinated methanes and for the formation of O(3) from O(2). The rate of degradation of H-containing chlorinated methanes increased sharply on increase of their initial concentrations, most probably of a (*)Cl chain reaction, as indicated by the increase in the molar ratio of the amount of HCl formed to the amount of H-containing target substance decomposed. The experimental results suggested that the further transformations of the radicals and products formed play an important role as (*)Cl sources, causing a considerably higher rate of decomposition of the H-containing target substances. In a humidified O(2) stream, the (*)OH formed opens up another route for oxidation of the target substances. Thus, the rates of degradation of CH(2)Cl(2) and CHCl(3) increased on increase of the relative humidity, whereas the water vapour had no effect at all on the decomposition of CCl(4). At the same time, competition occurs between (*)Cl or (*)OH for reactions with the target substance. The photooxidation of binary mixtures was investigated too. The addition of CCl(4) or CHCl(3) to CH(2)Cl(2) strongly increased its degradation rate. The addition of CH(2)Cl(2) did not have a considerable effect on the rate of degradation of CHCl(3).

Removal of chloroform from biodegradable therapeutic microspheres by radiolysis

Radioactive holmium-166 loaded poly(l-lactic acid) microspheres are promising systems for the treatment of liver malignancies. These microspheres are loaded with holmium acetylacetonate (HoAcAc) and prepared by a solvent evaporation method using chloroform. After preparation the microspheres (Ho-PLLA-MS) are activated by neutron irradiation in a nuclear reactor. It was observed that relatively large amounts of residual chloroform (1000-6000 ppm) remained in the microspheres before neutron irradiation. Since it is known that chloroform is susceptible for high-energy radiation, we investigated whether neutron and gamma irradiation could result in the removal of residual chloroform in HoAcAc-loaded and placebo PLLA-MS by radiolysis. To investigate this, microspheres with relatively high and low amounts of residual chloroform were subjected to irradiation. The effect of irradiation on the residual chloroform levels as well as other microsphere characteristics (morphology, size, crystallinity, molecular weight of PLLA and degradation products) were evaluated. No chloroform in the microspheres could be detected after neutron irradiation. This was also seen for gamma irradiation at a dose of 200 kGy phosgene, which can be formed as the result of radiolysis of chloroform, was not detected with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A precipitation titration showed that radiolysis of chloroform resulted in the formation of chloride. Gel permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry showed a decrease in molecular weight of PLLA and crystallinity, respectively. However, no differences were observed between irradiated microsphere samples with high and low initial amounts of chloroform. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that neutron and gamma irradiation results in the removal of residual chloroform in PLLA-microspheres.

Selective Oxygenation of 4,4‘-Dimethylbiphenyl with Molecular Oxygen, Catalyzed by 9-Phenyl-10-methylacridinium Ion via Photoinduced Electron Transfer

Photooxygenation of 4,4'-dimethybiphenyl with oxygen occurs efficiently in the presence of 9-phenyl-10-methylacridinium perchlorate (AcrPh(+)ClO(4)(-)) under visible light irradiation in O(2)-saturated chloroform (CHCl(3)) to yield 4-(4'-methylphenyl)benzaldehyde as a main oxygenated product. Prolonged photoirradiation afforded the further oxygenated product, 4,4'-diformylbiphenyl. The reactive radical intermediates involved in the photocatalytic cycle have successfully been detected by laser flash photolysis and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. The photocatalytic mechanism for the oxygenation of 4,4'-dimethybiphenyl via photoinduced electron transfer from 4,4'-dimethybiphenyl to the singlet excited state of AcrPh(+) is clarified based on the dependence of quantum yields on concentrations of substrates and the detected radical intermediates.

Photochemical reactions of poly(3-butoxythiophene-2,5-diyl) with chloroform

Photochemical reactions of poly(3-butoxythiophene-2,5-diyl) with chloroform under irradiation with light were studied. The reactions were separately carried out under air, oxygen, and nitrogen. The obtained results showed that this reaction belongs to the pseudo-first-order reaction with a rate constant k(obs) of 1.4 x 10(-5) s(-1) at room temperature. The presence or absence of air, oxygen, and nitrogen did not have obvious effects on the reaction rate under irradiation with light.

Chloroform infrared multiphoton dissociation in the presence of O2 and NO2

The infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) of CDCl3 in the presence of O2 and NO2 as acceptor gases has been studied. We have worked with both pure CDCl3 and mixtures with CHCl3. The reaction mechanism following IRMPD of CDCl3 is discussed in detail. CCl2O, CCl4 and DCl were found to be the main products. With added O2, the observed CDCl3 dissociation was larger than with nonoxygenated acceptor gases. The reaction mechanism probably involves a catalytic cycle initiated by the oxidation of CCl3. With the aim of discriminating the different CDCl3 dissociation mechanisms, the IRMPD of CDCl3 in the presence of NO2 was first studied. In order to make evident the CDCl3 dissociation produced by the catalytic cycle, we then studied the IRMPD of CDCl3 in mixtures with CHCl3 with O2 as the acceptor gas. In this case, the dissociation mechanism subsequent to IRMPD is evidenced in the competence between the two isotopic species.

Multiphoton dissociation/ionization of CHCl3 and CFCl3 at 355 nm: an experimental and theoretical study

Nonresonant laser-induced multiphoton dissociation/ionization studies have been conducted for trichloromethane (CHCl3) and trichlorofluoromethane (CFCl3) at 355 nm, using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). The molecular ion signal was found to be missing for both these compounds, and very similar fragmentation patterns were observed. Ab initio molecular electronic structure calculations were performed to help understand the fragmentation pattern of these molecules in the laser field. The energetics of different dissociation channels in the ground states of [CHCl3]+*, [CHCl2]+, [CFCl3]+* and [CFCl2]+, as well as neutral CHCl3, CHCl2*, CFCl3 and CFCl2* systems, were calculated. On comparing theoretical results with experimentally observed ion signals and their relative abundances in TOFMS, it is inferred that these molecules undergo sequential Cl atom elimination followed by photoionization of the fragments. The absence of [CFCl]+ has been interpreted on the basis of resonant A state-mediated two-photon absorption by CFCl, and the subsequent prompt photodissociation processes occurring for this state.

Photooxidation of papaverine, papaverinol and papaveraldine in their chloroform solutions

Papaverine hydrochloride, papaverinol, and papaveraldine chloroform solutions were exposed to UV light of 254 nm in atmospheric, aerobic and anaerobic (helium) conditions. The same degradation products appear (TLC) in the above papaverine hydrochloride chloroform solutions. However, the rate of papaverine hydrochloride degradation processes is enhanced as a function of oxygen pressure. Papaverinol and papaveraldine photooxidation products are essentially not different from those observed in the above papaverine hydrochloride solutions. However, the amount of an unknown brown degradation product (X) is the greatest in the papaverinol chloroform solution degraded. That brown compound was previously observed in papaverine either hydrochloride or sulfate injection solutions on their storage even when protected from daylight. The preliminary X product structure development was undertaken (TLC, molecular weight, elemental analysis, UV/VIS, IR and 13C MAS NMR spectroscopy).

[UV photolysis mechanism of CCl4 and CHCl3 in water]

The photolysis mechanism of CCl4 and CHCl3 in water was studied by using transient absorption spectra. The results showed that aqueous CCl4 was dissociated into CCl3 and Cl radicals by 248 nm laser, and CHCl3 was dissociated into CHCl2 and Cl radicals after adding C6H6. The radicals CCl3 and CHCl2 were able to react with O2 to form CCl3O2 and CHCl2O2 respectively, or to form C2Cl6 and C2H2Cl4 without O2. The rate coefficients of some reactions were obtained.