On the Mechanism of Formation of Intratrack Yields of Water Radiolysis Products upon Irradiation with Fast Electrons and Positrons: 2. Concentration and Time Dependences of Yields

A mathematical model for the formation of main transient and final radiolysis products generated in tracks of fast electrons and positrons in water and aqueous solutions was constructed and described in terms of equations of inhomogeneous chemical kinetics in part 1 of this study. The model takes into account the reactions of a solute with epithermal electrons, thermal, and hydrated electrons; the ambipolar character of diffusion of charged intratrack particles; and new pathways of the formation of hydrogen and positronium due to the appearance of weakly bound states of electrons. In the present paper, the model was quantitatively fitted to experimental data on both time variation in the yields of radiolytic products (H₃O⁺, e _aq ⁻ , H, OH, OH⁻, H₂O₂) in pure water and the yields of hydrogen (H₂, H), hydrated electron (e _aq ⁻ ) and positronium (Ps) in various dilute and concentrated aqueous solutions.__________Translated from Khimiya Vysokikh Energii, Vol. 39, No. 5, 2005, pp. 330–338.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Stepanov, Byakov.     

Chemical processes on active carbon surface: A new example of nitrogen fixation

The behavior of activated carbon fibers (ACF) and activated carbon (AC) in water and aqueous solutions of H₂O₂, NaOH, NaCN and KI₃ in the presence of atmospheric air is studied by physicochemical methods: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ESR, and attenuated total reflectance IR (ATR-IR) and Fourier Transform IR (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The superoxide radical anion O ₂ ^?· is shown to exist on the ACF surface in aqueous solutions, whose formation is explained by reaction of molecular oxygen with radical active centers of surface defects. It is found that in aqueous solutions of inorganic compounds, both possessing (H₂O₂, KI₃) and not possessing (NaOH, NaCN) pronounced oxidative properties, the ACF surface is oxidized more rapidly than on aging in air. Evidence for fixation of atmospheric nitrogen on contact of ACF and AC with H₂O or aqueous solutions of NaOH, NaCN, and KI₃ is obtained. Possible conjugate redox reactions resulting in fixation of N₂ molecules and oxidation of the surface of carbon materials are discussed.     

Photochemical degradation of typical halogenated herbicide 2,4-D in drinking water with UV/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>/micro-aeration

UV/H₂O₂/micro-aeration is a newly developed process based on UV/H₂O₂. Halogenated pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) photochemical degradation in aqueous solution was studied under various solution conditions. The UV intensity, initial 2,4-D concentrations and solution temperature varied from 183.6 to 1048.7 μW·cm⁻², from 59.2 to 300.0 μg·L⁻¹ and from 15 to 30°C, respectively. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and pH ranged from 0 to 50 mg·L⁻¹ and 5 to 9, and different water quality solutions (tap water, distilled water and deionized water) were examined in this study. With initial concentration of about 100 μg·L⁻¹, more than 95.6% of 2,4-D can be removed in 90 min at intensity of UV radiation of 843.9 μW·cm⁻², H₂O₂ dosage of 20 mg·L⁻¹, pH 7 and room temperature. The removal efficiency of 2,4-D by UV/H₂O₂/micro-aeration process is better than UV/H₂O₂ process. The photodecomposition of 2,4-D in aqueous solution follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. 2,4-D is greatly affected by UV irradation intensity, H₂O₂ dosage, initial 2,4-D concentration and water quality solutions, but it appears to be slightly influenced by pH and temperature. There is a linear relationship between rate constant k and UV intensity and initial H₂O₂ concentration, which indicates that higher removal capacity can be achieved by the improvement of these factors. Finally, a preliminary cost analysis reveals that UV/H₂O₂/micro-aeration process is more cost-effective than the UV/H₂O₂ process in the removal of 2,4-D from drinking water.     

On the mechanism of formation of intratrack yields of water radiolysis products upon irradiation with fast electrons and positrons: 1. Model formulation

A mathematical model is constructed for the formation of main transient (e _aq ^– , H, OH) and final (H₂, H₃O⁺, OH^–, Ps) radiolytic products formed in tracks of fast electrons and positrons in water and aqueous solutions. The model takes into account the occurrence of reactions of epithermal electrons, along with thermal and hydrated electrons, with a solute; the ambipolar character of diffusion of charged intratrack particles; and new pathways of the formation of hydrogen and positronium due to the appearance of weakly bound adducts of electrons with their scavengers, in addition to the traditional routes.__________Translated from Khimiya Vysokikh Energii, Vol. 39, No. 3, 2005, pp. 165–170.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Stepanov, Byakov.     

The effect of interfacial mass transfer on steady-state water radiolysis

The effect of aqueous–gas interfacial transfer of volatile species on the γ-radiolysis of water was studied as a function of gas-to-liquid volume ratio at various solution pHs and cover gas compositions. Water samples with cover-gas headspace were irradiated at an absorbed dose rate of 2.5 Gy s^?1 and the radiolytic productions of H₂ in the cover gas and H₂O₂ in the water phase were monitored as a function of irradiation time. The experimental results were compared with computer simulations using a water radiolysis kinetics model that included primary radiolysis, subsequent reactions of the primary radiolysis products in the aqueous phase, and aqueous–gas interfacial transfer of the volatile species H₂ and O₂. This study shows that the impact of the interfacial mass transfer strongly depends on pH. At pH≤8 (lower than the pKa of ?H of 9.6) the effect of aqueous-to-gas phase transfer of the volatile species on the steady-state concentrations of the other radiolysis products is negligible. At higher pHs (≥8), radiolytic production of O₂ is slow but considerable, which results in significant increase in the steady-state concentrations of H₂ and H₂O₂ compared to those at lower pHs. Thus, in the presence of headspace, the interfacial transfer of both H₂ and O₂ becomes significant, and the aqueous concentrations of H₂ and O₂ are no longer independent of the interfacial surface area and water volume. Nevertheless, the accumulated mass of H₂(g) in the headspace is proportional to the aqueous concentration of H₂ at all pHs, and the gaseous concentration of H₂ in the headspace can be used to infer the aqueous concentration of H₂.     

Formation of different products during photo-catalytic reaction on TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> suspension in water with and without 2-propanol under diverse ambient conditions

Studies on photo-catalytic reduction of CO₂ using TiO₂ photo-catalyst (0.1%, w/v) as a suspension in water was carried out at 350 nm light. CO₂ from both commercially available source, as well as generated in situ through 2-propanol oxidation, was used for this study. The photolytic products such as hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO) andmethane (CH₄) generated were monitored in TiO₂ suspended aqueous solution with and without a hole scavenger, viz., 2-propanol. Similar photolytic experiments were also carried out with varying ambient such as air, O₂, N₂ and N₂O. The yields of CO and CH₄ in all these systems under the present experimental conditions were found to be increasing with light exposure time. H₂ yield in N₂-purged systems containing 2-propanol was found to be more as compared to the without 2-propanol system. The rate of H₂ production in N₂-purged aqueous solutions containing 0.1% TiO₂ suspension were evaluated to be 0.226 and 5.8 μl/h, without and with 0.5 M 2-propanol, respectively. This confirmed that 2-propanol was an efficient hole scavenger and it scavenged photo-generated holes (h⁺), allowing its counter ion, viz., e⁻, to react with water molecule/H⁺ to yield more H₂. The formation of both CO and CH₄ in the photolysis of CO₂-purged aqueous solutions containing suspended TiO₂ in absence of 2-propanol reveal that the generation of CH₄ is taking place mainly through CO intermediate. In presence of air/O₂, the yield of H₂ in the system without 2-propanol was observed to be negligible as compared to the system containing 2-propanol in which low yield of H₂ was obtained with a formation rate of approx. 0.5 μl/h.     

Correlation of the extraction constants of the system Cd(II)–H3PO4/Cyanex 302–kerosene at different ionic strengths

Bromley's theory for calculating activity coefficients in order to correlate the values of cadmium extraction constant by Cyanex 302 from phosphoric acid solutions at different ionic strengths has been applied. A chemical model for the aqueous phase including the species H₃PO₄, H₂PO₄⁻, H₅P₂O₈⁻, H₆P₂O₈, CdHPO₄ and CdH₂PO₄⁺ has been considered. The increase observed for the extraction constant value when increasing the phosphoric acid concentration is probably due to the significant increase of the cadmium activity coefficient. A reaction extraction including water as a component has been proposed, and the value of the thermodynamic extraction constant of log K⁰=7.02 for the formation of CdR₂(HR) species, HR being the major component of Cyanex 302, has been obtained.     

On the existence of H2F+ in dilute hydrofluoric acid solutions

The existence of H₂F⁺, which has been long postulated in dilute aqueous HF solutions, was investigated by fluoride ion-selective electrode potentiometry. Even under conditions conducive to its formation precise measurements yielded only equivocal evidence for its occurrence. It is thought that H₂F⁺ will exist only in very concentrated HF solutions with low water activities.     

Zeta Potential of Pyrophyllite in Aqueous Solutions of Alkaline and Alkaline Earth Metal Cations and Low‐Molecular‐Weight Organic Anions

Electrokinetic behavior of pyrophyllite in aqueous solutions of K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ ions and effect of low‐molecular‐weight organic anions like acetate (C₂H₃O₂ ^?), oxalate (C₂O₄ ^2?), and citrate (C₆H₅O₇ ^3?) on the zeta potential was investigated. Pyrophyllite has higher negative zeta potential values in the presence of alkaline metal cations than in water, and it comes close to positive values in the presence of alkaline earth metal cations at low pH values. Results revealed that presence of low‐molecular‐weight organic anions led to a decrease in the zeta potential in the order of acetate>citrate>oxalate.     

Calculated and measured transient product yields in pulse radiolysis of aqueous solutions: Concentration dependence

Pulse radiolysis of aqueous solutions was modeled by using 54 equations for the reaction of water radiolysis intermediates with carefully selected rate coefficients. Yields of products formed in the hydrated electron+solute and hydroxyl radical+solute reactions were calculated and compared with the measured yields in wide concentration range. These reactions are in competition with the reactions of the water radiolysis intermediates with each other and with H₂O, H⁺ and H₂O₂. An empirical equation was developed for the calculation of scavenged product yields that can be used in cases when due to low rate coefficient, low solubility or very high absorbance, low solute concentrations are applied and a considerable fraction of the water radiolysis intermediates does not react with the solute.     

Radiolysis of aqueous solutions of gadolinium nitrate

The specific effect due to Gd³⁺ ion on the radiolysis of aqueous nitrate solutions was determined by measurement of H₂, H₂O₂ and NO ₂ ^– radiolytic yields produced by gamma-irradiation of aerated and deaerated solutions of gadolinium, sodium and calcium nitrates in the concentration range of 10^–5 to 0.3M. Important O₂ consumption in aerated and O₂ evolution in deaerated Gd(NO₃)₂ solutions was found by radiolysis in comparison with the inert cations nitrates. In the former the Gd³⁺ ion generates an O₂ transporter producing an increase in the H₂O₂ yield and a decrease in the NO ₂ ^– yield, while in the latter it enhances the H₂ and NO ₂ ^– production with respect to the same nitrate concentration of the Na⁺ solutions.     

Anthraquinone Redox Relay for Dye‐Sensitized Photo‐electrochemical H2O2 Production

Anthraquinone (AQ) redox mediators are introduced to metal‐free organic dye sensitized photo‐electrochemical cells (DSPECs) for the generation of H₂O₂. Instead of directly reducing O₂ to produce H₂O₂, visible‐light‐driven AQ reduction occurs in the DSPEC and the following autooxidation with O₂ allows H₂O₂ accumulation and AQ regeneration. In an aqueous electrolyte, under 1 sun conditions, a water‐soluble AQ salt is employed with the highest photocurrent of up to 0.4 mA cm^?2 and near‐quantitative faradaic efficiency for producing H₂O₂. In a non‐aqueous electrolyte, under 1 sun illumination, an organic‐soluble AQ is applied and the photocurrent reaches 1.8 mA cm^?2 with faradaic efficiency up to 95 % for H₂O₂ production. This AQ‐relay DSPEC exhibits the highest photocurrent so far in non‐aqueous electrolytes for H₂O₂ production and excellent acid stability in aqueous electrolytes, thus providing a practical and efficient strategy for visible‐light‐driven H₂O₂ production.     

Preparation of alkaline Nb(V) solutions using K(I) compounds

Leaching with water of products obtained by sintering of Nb₂O₅ with K₂CO₃·1.5H₂O, KHCO₃, and KOH was studied. Solutions containing up to 500 g l^?1Nb₂O₅ were obtained. These solutions can be recommended for use in production of welding and other functional materials.     

Density Functional Studies of Coenzyme NADPH and Its Oxidized Form NADP+: Structures,UV–Vis Spectra,and the Oxidation Mechanism of NADPH

Density functional theory has been used to study the biologically important coenzyme NADPH and its oxidized form NADP⁺. It was found that free NADPH prefers a compact structure in gas phase and exists in more extended geometries in aqueous solution. Ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra in aqueous solution were calculated for NADPH with an explicit treatment of 100 surrounding water molecules in combination with the COSMO solvation model for bulk hydration effects. The obtained spectra using the B3LYP hybrid density functional agree quite well with experimental data. The changes of Gibbs free energies ΔG in reactions of NADPH with O₂ observed experimentally in cardiovascular and in chemical systems, that is, NADPH + 2 ³O₂ → NADP⁺ + 2 O₂⁻ + H⁺ and NADPH + ¹O₂ + H⁺ → NADP⁺ + H₂O₂, respectively, were calculated. The NADPH oxidation reaction in the cardiovascular system cannot proceed without activation since the obtained ΔG is positive. The reaction of NADPH in the chemical system with singlet oxygen was found to proceed in two ways, each consisting of two steps, that is, NADPH firstly reacts with ¹O₂ barrierlessly to form NADP⁺ and HO₂⁻, from which H₂O₂ is formed in a spontaneous reaction with H⁺, or ¹O₂ and H⁺ initially form ¹HO₂⁺, which further reacts with NADPH to yield NADP⁺ and H₂O₂. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Non-catalytic remediation of aqueous solutions by microwave-assisted photolysis in the presence of H2O2

Advanced oxidation processes have emerged as potentially powerful methods to transform organic pollutants in aqueous solutions into non-toxic substances. In this work, a comparison of degradation dynamics of five aromatic compounds (phenol, chlorobenzene, nitrobenzene, 4-chlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol) in aqueous solutions by non-catalytic UV, MW, and combined MW/UV remediation techniques in the presence of H₂O₂ is presented. Relative degradation rate constants have been monitored and the major products were identified. The combined degradation effect of UV and MW radiation was found larger than the sum of isolated effects in all cases studied. It is concluded that such an overall efficiency increase is essentially based on a thermal enhancement of subsequent oxidation reactions of the primary photoreaction intermediates. Optimizations revealed that this effect was particularly significant in samples with a low concentration of H₂O₂, however, a larger excess of H₂O₂ was essential to complete the destruction in most experiments. The absence of heterogeneous catalysts was in no doubt an additional advantage of the technique applied.     

Radiolysis of iodotyrosines in aqueous-ethanol solutions

⁶⁰Co-gamma radiolysis of 3-iodotyrosine and 3,5-diiodotyrosine in aqueous-ethanol solutions has shown that the chemical effects are mainly determined by the interaction of radicals from the radiolysis of solvent and controlled by the composition of the solution. The influence of varying solvent composition and radiation dose on the amount of iodoamino acid converted and on the yields of the radiolysis products (I₂, I^–, IO ₃ ^– and H₂O₂) formed in aerated solutions at room termperature were investigated. The formation of I₂ is dependent upon the acidity of the solution and is mainly produced as an after-effect due to the interaction of H₂O₂ with I^– ions, both being radiolysis products. The variation of radiation-chemical yields with the solute and solvent composition, and the probable mechanisms for formation of the radiolysis products are discussed.     

Radiolysis of ground water: Influence of carbonate and chloride on hydrogen peroxide production

Small volumes of aqueous solutions have been subjected to -radiation from a²⁴¹Am source. The irradiated solution was separated from the bulk solution by a glass filter serving as a diffusion barrier. The H₂O₂ concentration in the bulk solution was monitored by a chemiluminescence technique and the overall production of oxidizing species (H₂O₂/O₂) in irradiated ground water was studied by measuring the Fe²⁺-consumption in ground water initially containing 2·10^–6 mol dm^–3 Fe²⁺. H₂O₂ yields calculated using the computer program CHEMSIMUL are in fair agreement with experimental yields for pure water (pH 8) and aqueous methanol solutions (pH 5). Experimentally G(H₂O₂)=1.06±0.1 was obtained in pure water. In solutions containing 2·10^–3 mol·dm^–3 HCO ₃ ^– and in ground water G(H₂O₂) decreased to 0.69±0.03. A corresponding decrease in G(H₂O₂) was not found in the calculations. The agreement between measured and calculated Fe²⁺ consumption is fair when slow oxidative reactions in the bulk solutions are taken into account.     

蝴蝶形单分子配合物的合成、晶体结构及其对水溶液中有害离子的检测

用苯并咪唑基配体5,5′-二(2-苯并咪唑基)-2,2′-联吡啶(H2L)与镍、锌离子溶剂热合成了配合物[Ni(HL)(HCOO)(H2O)](1)和[Zn(H2L)(H2O)2](NO3)2(2)。X射线单晶测试表明镍与锌配合物的晶体结构是只含一个配体和一个金属离子的蝴蝶形单分子。配合物分子之间存在大量分子间氢键,配合物1通过分子间氢键连接成了二维层状结构,配合物2通过分子间氢键连接成了三维超分子结构。配合物1和2在水溶液中很稳定,且能够微溶于水。荧光测试表明配合物2的固体及在水溶液中都具有很强的荧光性质,且能够在水溶液中高选择性、高灵敏度检测有害重金属离子Hg^2+及氧化性阴离子Cr2O7^2-。     

The effect of water on the rate and direction of the oxidation of organic substances

The effect of the polarity of the medium on the rate and direction of oxidation processes has been studied. It has been shown that the rate of oxidation of methyl ethyl ketone in aqueous solutions diminishes with increase in the water concentration. A considerably greater reduction in the rate of decomposition of the RO ₂ ^. radical is observed than in the rate of the interaction of this radical with methyl ethyl ketone, which results in an increase in the selectivity of the oxidation process. When methyl ethyl ketone is diluted with water in the molar ratio C₄H₈O H₂O=120, the quantity of acetic acid in the reaction products amounts to 98–99% of the methyl ethyl ketone consumed. The suggestion is made that the high selectivity of the oxidation of methyl ethyl ketone in aqueous solutions is due to the effect of the dielectric constant of the medium on the ratio between the two parallel reactions of the peroxide radical RO ₂ ^. .