ESR study of free radicals in UHMW-PE fiber irradiated by gamma rays

ESR spectra of the trapped radicals in an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) fiber irradiated by gamma rays showed well-resolved hyperfine splitting at room temperature since the c-axis of the crystallites is aligned with the fiber direction and the radicals are trapped in crystallites. The alkyl radical (?CH₂?^?CH?CH₂?) was the major product after irradiation in vacuum and in air at room temperature. Some of the alkyl radicals converted to allyl radicals (?CH₂?^?CH?CH=CH?) and polyenyl radicals (?CH₂?^?CH?(CH=CH)_n?CH₂?) during storage in vacuum. Upon storage in air atmosphere, the alkyl radicals decayed by reaction with oxygen. Of particular interest is the very slow decay rate of the alkyl radical trapped in UHMW-PE fiber, the half-life is 26 days in vacuum, and 13 days in air at room temperature, which is about 1/30 and 1/100 of that reported for high density polyethylene (HDPE), respectively. The extremely long lifetime of the alkyl radical is supposed to be caused by the large size of crystallites in UHMW-PE fiber. The rate of radical decay was accelerated by annealing at elevated temperature.     

ESR study of free radicals produced in polyethylene irradiated by ultraviolet light

ESR studies of ultraviolet-irradiated polyethylene (PE) were carried out. Irradiation effects different from those of high-energy radiation are observed. Ultraviolet radiation is absorbed selectively, and especially in carbonyl groups in PE produced by oxidation. Radicals produced were identified as \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \hbox{---} {\rm CH}_2 \hbox{---} {\dot {\rm C}} {\rm H} \hbox{---}{\rm CHO}$\end{document} and \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \hbox{---} {\rm CH}_2 \hbox{---} {\dot {\rm C}} {\rm H} \hbox{---}{\rm CH}_2 \hbox{---}$\end{document}. Some radicals giving a quintet signal stable at room temperature were also observed but remained unidentified. The radical \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \hbox{---} {\rm CH}_2 \hbox{---} {\dot {\rm C}} {\rm H} \hbox{---}{\rm CHO}$\end{document} undergoes a mutual conversion with the acyl radical:      

ESR study of free radicals formed upon UV irradiation of nitropentafluoroacetone in various solvents

The formation of CF₃C(O)CF₂N(O^.)O₂CF₂C(O)CF₃ free radicals upon the UV irradiation of nitropentafluoroacetone (1) in toluene and mesitylene is established by ESR. The most likely cause of their formation is the one-electron oxidation of the solvents by photoexcited1 followed by decay of the radical anion formed from1 with the expulsion of an NO₂ anion and attachment of the radical to a molecule of original1. The irradiation of 1 in triethylsilane results in the elimination of a fluoride ion and fixation of a CF₃COCFN(O^–)O' radical. UV irradiation of ketone1 in pentane results in the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the solvent and the formation of a CF₃COCF₂N(OH)O ' radical.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 512–514, March, 1993.     

ESR study of free radicals in mango

An electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic study of radicals induced in irradiated fresh mangoes was performed. Mangoes in the fresh state were irradiated with γ-rays, lyophilized and then crushed into a powder. The ESR spectrum of the powder showed a strong main peak at g = 2.004 and a pair of peaks centered at the main peak. The main peak was detected from both flesh and skin specimens. This peak height gradually decreased during storage following irradiation. On the other hand, the side peaks showed a well-defined dose–response relationship even at 9 days post-irradiation. The side peaks therefore provide a useful means to define the irradiation of fresh mangoes.     

ESR study on free radicals trapped in crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Free radicals in crosslinked PTFE which formed by ⁶⁰Co γ-rays irradiaion at 77 K and at room temperature were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The crosslinked PTFE specimens with different crosslinking density were prepared by electron beam irradiation in the molten state. The ESR spectra observed in the irradiated crosslinked PTFE are much different from those in non-crosslinked PTFE (virgin); a broad singlet component increases with increasing the crosslinking density, G-value of radicals is much higher in crosslinked PTFE than in non-crosslinked one. Free radicals related to the broad component are trapped in the non-crystalline region of crosslinked PTFE and rather stable at room temperature, whereas radicals trapped in amorphous non-crosslinked PTFE are unstable at room temperature. It is thought that most of free radicals trapped in the crosslinked PTFE are formed in the crosslinked amorphous region. The trapped radicals decays around 383 K (110°C) due to the molecular motion of -relaxation.     

The occurrence of free radicals in milled and irradiated paprika as detected by ESR

Ionising radiation and various other types of treatment can induce oxidising processes that give rise to free radicals in materials. This paper reports an ESR study of free radicals in spicy paprika in various phases of grinding and in samples of different particle sizes as functions of the absorbed gamma dose and storage time. In 7th phase of grinding, the ESR intensity first increased and then decreased after conditioning. The ESR intensity increased with increase in the absorbed dose, and then decreased during the 8 weeks of storage. This declining intensity demonstrates the simultaneous presence of free radicals having short and long shelf life in paprika samples.     

ESR study of radicals formed during tensile deformation of poly[p-(2-hydroxyethoxy) benzoic acid] fibers

Radical formation during tensile deformation of highly oriented poly[p-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzoic acid] fibers was investigated by electron spin resonance. Stretching of fibers in vacuo and in a stream of nitrogen gas at room temperature generated a large number of radicals which increased rapidly with macroscopic strain, while stretching in air generated only a small number of radicals. The radicals formed in vacuo or in nitrogen decayed rather rapidly after introduction of air. The observed spectrum was apparently a triplet with a line separation of about 7.5 gauss and a small asymmetry. The inspection of the hyperfine structure, line separation, and total width of the spectrum and the comparison between the observed and the calculated spectrum based on a model substance proved that the observed species is a phenoxy type radical generated by rupture of main chains. A small asymmetry of observed spectrum was explained by anisotropy of the g-tensor. The alkyl end-radical generated together with one of the phenoxy type could not be detected, perhaps owing to its high reactivity.     

ESR of cationic isoalloxazine free radicals

The ESR spectra in solution of a number of cationic isoalloxazine free radicals were recorded and interpreted in terms of hyperfine coupling constants. Two previously published interpretations are shown to be incorrect.     

ESR studies of free radicals formed during hydrogen and methane oxidation in contact with chalcopyrite

ESR studies have revealed that in the complex conjugated transformations of chalcopyrite under the effect of gasphase chain oxidation of methane and hydrogen, free radicals are formed. These radicals are sulfur-containing paramagnetic particles.

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ESR study of free radicals chemically generated at high pressure

Free radicals generated by the thermal decomposition of benzoyl peroxide in polyacrylnitrile were studied by the ESR method at 700 MPa between 100 and 130°C. The formation and decay of macroradicals were investigated and the mechanism of macroradical generation is discussed.

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700 MPa 100 130°C. .

     

ESR study of free radicals in some new hydrazones of terpenoids class

The effect of gamma-irradiation on some new hydrazones of terpenoids using electron spin resonance (ESR) is reported. Gamma-irradiation of three derivates of hydrazone and of compounds resulting from the condensation of these derivates with terpenoids produces stable free radicals at room temperature. The analysis of the ESR parameters (g-factors and hyperfine coupling) and the simulation performed lead us to conclude that free radicals are of form R–N–NH₂ (arising from hydrazine derivates) and R–N–N=R (arising from condensation compounds). The thermal stability of formed radicals is discussed and the activation energy involved in the process of recombination of free radicals is calculated.     

Analysis of ESR spectra of fluorocarbon radicals in irradiated tetrafluorethylene

ESR spectra in irradiated tetrafluoroethylene were studied. It was found that during radiolysis at 77 K several types of radicals are formed. The spectra of two types of radicals were established and were preliminarily interpreted as the spectra of fluorine atoms and CF₃-CF₂ radicals.     

Ionic species in irradiated poly(methyl methacrylate). A pulse radiolysis and ESR study

Poly(methyl methacrylate) free of initiators was synthesized by γ-irradiation and cast into transparent films. The samples were investigated by ns pulse radiolysis at various temperatures, and by ESR spectroscopy after γ irradiation at 77°K. Short-lived transients with optical absorptions at 440 and 725 nm were observed. The 440 nm absorption has been ascribed to the cation and the 725 nm absorption (εG = 3000 M^?1 cm^?1 (100 eV)^?1, τ_1/2 = 190 ns at ?13°C, E_a = 6.5 kcal/mol) to the anion. These assignments are based on ESR data of samples of poly(methyl methacrylate) and pivalic acid methyl ester deuterated at the ester deuterated at the ester and α-methyl groups, respectively, and subjected to thermal annealing and photobleaching. The anion decomposes on photobleaching by loss of the ester ·CH₃ radical, and the cation is proposed to decay by loss of the ·CH₃ radical from the α-methyl group. The thermal decay of the anion is discussed.     

An ESR study of the cation radicals of azodibenzothiazolyls

Methyl and ethyl derivatives of thiobenzothiazole and their quaternary salts were prepared by the sealed glass tube method. Azinodibenzothiazoles were oxidized by lead(IV) acetate, giving cation radical salts with the boron tetrafluoride anion moiety. The well-resolved esr spectra observed were analyzed by comparing the data with those of a deuteriomethylated radical and with those from the MO calculations. Spin density distribution was consistently determined by computer simulation, including almost the same unpaired electron distribution on the four nitrogen atoms.     

An ESR and ENDOR study of irradiated 6Li-formate

Lithium formate ((6)LiOOCH.H(2)O), 95% (6)Li enrichment, combined with an exchange of crystallization water with D(2)O was investigated. The ESR spectrum of the radiation induced free radicals stable at room temperature consists of a singlet with a narrow line width, 0.92mT. (6)Li has smaller magnetic moment and nuclear spin, which resulted in the narrower line width accompanied with an increase in peak amplitude. In comparison with lithium formate with natural isotopic composition, (6)Li (7.5%, I=1) and (7)Li (92.5%, I=3/2), the sensitivity was increased by a factor of two. With optimised spectrometer settings (6)Li formate had seven times higher sensitivity compared to alanine. Therefore this material is proposed as a dosimeter material in a dose range down to 0.1Gy. The g and the (13)C-hyperfine (hf) tensors of the CO(2)(-) radical anion, major paramagnetic products, were evaluated to be g=(2.0037, 1.9975, 2.0017), and A((13)C)=(465.5, 447.5, 581.3) MHz for polycrystalline samples at room temperature. Furthermore, the (1)H-hf and (6)Li-hf tensors observed for the surroundings of CO(2)(-) by ENDOR technique were in fairly good agreement with DFT calculations. The CO(2)(-) radicals are found to be so stable that the formate is applicable to the ESR dosimetry, because of fully relaxing in a fully relaxed geometrical structure of the CO(2)(-) component and remaining tight binding with the surroundings after the H atom detachment from HCO(2)(-).     

Block copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with poly(ethylene oxide) radicals formed by high-speed stirring

A block copolymer of methyl methacrylate with poly(ethylene oxide) was synthesized by initiation with poly(ethylene oxide) radicals formed by high-speed stirring. The effects of the concentration of the monomer, the concentration of the polymer, the degree of polymerization, the rotation speed, and the solvent on the rate of copolymerization were studied. It was found that the rate of copolymerization was proportional to the concentration of the monomer and to the square root of the rate of scission of the polymer chain. The block copolymerization of methyl methacrylate monomer and styrene monomer (1 : 1 mole ratio) with poly(ethylene oxide) radicals was also carried out by the same method and it was found that the block copolymerization was a radical one.     

ESR and spin trapping of free radicals produced in poly U and poly A using the boron-neutron capture reaction

Powdered samples of poly U and poly A containing sodium tetraborate and controls without tetraborate were irradiated at room temperature with thermal neutrons. Radical formation occurred only in the samples containing tetraborate. Thermal neutrons interact with ¹⁰B (10% naturally occurring in tetraborate) via the boron-neutron capture reaction. This reaction generates α particles and ⁷Li ions with mean kinetic energies of 1.48 and 0.85 MeV, respectively. The identification and location of the free radicals produced by the interaction of these particles with poly U and poly A, was determined by ESR and spin trapping using the spin trap 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane (MNP). Following dissolution of irradiated poly U in an MNP solution, the spin trapped poly U was hydrolyzed with base (NaOH, pH 12.6). On readjusting the pH to pH 7.5 the spin adduct ESR spectrum showed that in poly U, radical formation occurs at the C(6) carbon of the uracil residues. For poly A the solid state ESR spectrum suggests that radicals are formed at the N(3) and/or N(7) nitrogens and at the C(4) and/or C(5) carbons. However, only the C(5) carbon-centered radicals were spin trapped. In addition, the results for poly A indicate that sugar-phosphate backbone is disrupted by the α particles and ⁷Li ions. The nature of this interactions is still unclear.