On the mechanism of thermal oxidation of methane

Using the method of freezing radicals in conjunction with ESR spectroscopic measurements, the kinetics of the thermal oxidation of methane has been studied under atmospheric pressure depending on the temperature, composition of the mixture, and nature of the surface of the reaction vessel. It has been shown that in a reactor treated with boric acid, the intermediates methylhydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide are responsible for chain branching. It has been established that the leading active centers of the reaction are the HO₂ radicals, while chain branching occurs as a result of the decomposition of peroxy compounds—methylhydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide. In reactors treated with potassium bromide, the concentrations of radicals and peroxy compounds were found to be lower than the sensitivity of the method of measurement. Computations were performed for the scheme of methane oxidation at 738 K for a reactor treated with boric acid. Satisfactory agreement was found between the experimental and computed kinetic curves of accumulation of main intermediates CH₂O, H₂O₂, CH₃OOH. The influence of their addition on the kinetics of the reaction has been considered. It has been shown that the addition of formaldehyde does not lead to chain branching, however; it contributes to the formation of those peroxy compounds that bring about chain branching. Mathematical modeling confirmed conclusions made on the basis of experimental data concerning the nature of the leading active centers and the products that are responsible for the degenerate chain branching.     

Kinetics and mechanisms of decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide in presence of metal complexes

Hydrogen peroxide was discovered in 1818 and has been used in bleaching for over a century [ 1 ]. H₂O₂ on its own is a relatively weak oxidant under mild conditions: It can achieve some oxidations unaided, but for the majority of applications it requires activation in one way or another. Some activation methods, e.g., Fenton's reagent, are almost as old [ 2 ]. However, by far the bulk of useful chemistry has been discovered in the last 50 years, and many catalytic methods are much more recent. Although the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is often employed as a standard reaction to determine the catalytic activity of metal complexes and metal oxides [ 3 , 4 ], it has recently been extensively used in intrinsically clean processes and in end‐of‐pipe treatment of effluent of chemical industries [ 5 , 6 ]. Furthermore, the adoption of H₂O₂ as an alternative of current industrial oxidation processes offer environmental advantages, some of which are (1) replacement of stoichiometric metal oxidants, (2) replacement of halogens, (3) replacement or reduction of solvent usage, and (4) avoidance of salt by‐products. On the other hand, wasteful decomposition of hydrogen peroxide due to trace transition metals in wash water in the fabric bleach industry, was also recognized [ 7 ]. The low intrinsic reactivity of H₂O₂ is actually an advantage, in that a method can be chosen which selectively activates it to perform a given oxidation. There are three main active oxidants derived from hydrogen peroxide, depending on the nature of the activator; they are (1) inorganic oxidant systems, (2) active oxygen species, and (3) per oxygen intermediates. Two general types of mechanisms have been postulated for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of transition metal complexes. The first is the radical mechanism (outer sphere), which was proposed by Haber and Weiss for the Fe(III)‐H₂O₂ system [ 8 ]. The key features of this mechanism were the discrete formation of hydroxyl and hydroperoxy radicals, which can form a redox cycle with the Fe(II)/Fe(III) couple. The second is the peroxide complex mechanism, which was proposed by Kremer and Stein [ 9 ]. The significant difference in the peroxide complex mechanism is the two‐electron oxidation of Fe(III) to Fe(V) with the resulting breaking of the peroxide oxygen‐oxygen bond. It is our intention in this article to briefly summarize the kinetics as well as the mechanisms of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, homogeneously and heterogeneously, in the presence of transition metal complexes. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 643–666, 2000     

Electrochemical oxidation of phenol on boron-doped diamond electrode

The process of phenol oxidation on a boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) is studied in acidic electrolytes under different conditions of generation of active oxygen forms (AOFs). The scheme of phenol oxidation known from the literature for other electrode materials is confirmed. Phenol is oxidized through a number of intermediates (benzoquinone, carboxylic acids) to carbon dioxide and water. Comparative analysis of phenol oxidation rate constants is performed as dependent on the electrolysis conditions: direct anodic oxidation, with oxygen bubbling, and addition of H₂O₂. A scheme is confirmed according to which active radicals (OH^·, HO₂^·, HO₂⁻) are formed on a BDD anode that can oxidize the substrate which leads to formation of organic radicals interacting with each other and forming condensation products. Processes with participation of free radicals (chain-radical mechanism) play an important role in electrochemical oxidation on BDD. Intermediates and polymeric substances (polyphenols, quinone structures, and resins) are formed. An excess of the oxidant (H₂O₂) promotes a more effective oxidation of organic radicals and accordingly inhibition of the condensation process.     

Water Activation for Boosting Electrochemiluminescence

In conventional luminol electrochemiluminescence (ECL) systems, hydrogen peroxide and dissolved oxygen are employed as typical co-reactants to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) for efficient ECL emission. However, the self-decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and limited solubility of oxygen in water inevitably restrict the detection accuracy and luminous efficiency of luminol ECL system. Inspired by ROS-mediated ECL mechanism, for the first time, we used cobalt-iron layered double hydroxide as co-reaction accelerator to efficiently activate water to generate ROS for enhancing luminol emission. Experimental investigations verify the formation of hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in the process of electrochemical water oxidation, which subsequently react with luminol anion radicals to trigger strong ECL signals. Finally, the detection of alkaline phosphatase has been successfully achieved with impressive sensitivity and reproducibility for practical sample analysis.     

The Sensitized Solid‐Phase Electrochemiluminescence of Electrodeposited Poly‐Luminol/Aniline on AuAg/TiO2 Nanohybrid Functionalized Electrode for Flow Injection Analysis

In this study, a copolymer of luminol with aniline is electrochemically deposited onto the AuAg/TiO₂ nanohybrid functionalized indium tin oxide coated glass. It is used as a reagentless electrochemiluminescent (ECL) electrode for flow‐injection‐analysis (FIA). The properties of this solid phase ECL electrode are characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy etc. It has stronger ECL emission, sensitive response for target analytes and excellent stability. The so‐prepared ECL electrode shows sensitive response to reactive oxygen species thereafter to be applied for determination of hydrogen peroxide with FIA mode. Under optimized conditions, a mass detection limit of 0.822 pg of hydrogen peroxide was obtained. Thus the hydrogen peroxide residues in samples were detected with satisfactory result.     

Fabrication of a new ECL biosensor for choline by encapsulating choline oxidase into titanate nanotubes and Nafion composite film

A simple strategy for encapsulating choline oxidase (ChOD) into the titanate nanotubes (TNTs) and Nafion composite film for choline sensing was proposed. Hydrogen peroxide, as the product of the redox enzymatic reaction, could enhance the ECL of luminol. Therefore, the substrates of corresponding redox enzymes could be detected indirectly through the determination of hydrogen peroxide in the luminol ECL system. Through this approach, it was found that ChOD could be fixed firmly into the TNTs contained composite film. TNTs would not only offer excellent photocatalytic activity toward luminol-H₂O₂ ECL system, but also provide a shelter for the biomolecules, such as redox enzyme to retain its bioactivity.     

Bioinspired Single-Atom Sites Enable Efficient Oxygen Activation for Switching Anodic/Cathodic Electrochemiluminescence

Exploring advanced co-reaction accelerators with superior oxygen reduction activity that generate rich reactive oxygen species (ROS) has attracted great attention in boosting luminol-O₂ electrochemiluminescence (ECL). However, tuning accelerators for efficient and selective catalytic O₂ activation to switch anodic/cathodic ECL is very challenging. Herein, we report that enzyme-inspired Fe-based single-atom catalysts with axial N/C coordination structures (FeN₅, FeN₄© SACs) can generate specific ROS for cathodic/anodic ECL conversion. Mechanistic studies reveal that FeN₅ sites prefer to produce highly active hydroxyl radicals and afford direct cathodic luminescence by promoting the cleavage of O−O bonds through N-induced electron redistribution. In contrast, FeN₄© sites tend to produce superoxide radicals, resulting in inefficient anodic ECL. Benefiting from the enhanced cathodic ECL, FeN₅ SAC-based immunosensor was constructed for the sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers.     

Photoinduced Oxidation of Sterically Hindered Amines in Acetonitrile Solutions and Titania Suspensions (An EPR Study)

The reactions of sterically hindered amines (SHA) were investigated in acetonitrile solutions and TiO₂ suspensions upon exposure to monochromatic radiation, λ = 365 nm, by means of in situ EPR spectroscopy. The formation of singlet oxygen, as one of the possible oxidation agents for SHA, in these systems is affected significantly by solvent used and the experimental conditions. Experiments in homogeneous media evidenced alternative pathways for the SHA oxidation with a variety reactive oxygen species involved. In anhydrous acetonitrile solutions containing KO₂, the SHA oxidation was negligible not only in the dark but also on continuous exposure. However, the presence of water, even at low concentrations, led to the transformation of O₂^?? to singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, which served as a source of hydroxyl radicals. These species participated in oxidation of SHA resulting in the generation of nitroxide radicals. To investigate the influence of different competitive reactions of SHA with other ROS formed upon TiO₂ photoexcitation, a series of experiments using different additives (e.g. KO₂, H₂O₂, NaN₃, dimethylsulfoxide, methanol as organic cosolvents) under air or argon were performed. The detailed analysis of paramagnetic intermediates formed upon the irradiation of the studied systems was accomplished using EPR spin trapping technique.     

Pro- and antioxidant characteristics of natural thiols

In aqueous solutions at physiological temperature, the mechanism of antioxidative action of natural thiols (glutathione, cysteine, and homocysteine) mainly involves reactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS), peroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Reduction of hydrogen peroxide by thiols is accompanied by radical generation. The kinetic characteristics of these processes, including those for the reactions of hydrogen peroxide and glutathione immobilized on solid supports such as sodium montmorillonite (clay) and cellulose were determined. Prooxidative effects of thiols are related with the reactions of thiyl radicals formed in the exchange reactions of thiols with other radicals and in the reactions between thiols and hydroperoxides. Thiyl radicals are known to react easily with double bonds. Resveratrol and caffeic acid, phenolic antioxidants containing double bond in their molecules, were shown to be consumed when reacted with glutathione and the process accelerated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.     

New peroxo derivatives of synthetic montmorillonite structures

New peroxo derivatives of montmorillonite (MT) minerals (cationic clay structures) were prepared. Conditions were found for the synthesis of stable (for 2 years) peroxide varieties of such structures containing high active oxygen percentages (15 wt % O_act or 32 wt % H₂O₂). A scenario for hydrogen peroxide sorption by cationic clays was proposed.     

Direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen over Pd-supported HNb<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>8</Subscript> metal oxide nanosheet catalyst

A two-dimensional layered niobium oxide and its exfoliated nanosheet were examined as potential solid acid supports for direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen under intrinsically safe and noncorrosive reaction conditions. The catalytic performance strongly depended on the acid strength of the support material. The Pd-supported protonated niobium oxide nanosheet catalyst (Pd/HNb₃O₈-NS) with remarkably enhanced acidity was superior to layered Pd/KNb₃O₈ or Pd/HNb₃O₈ to promote the reaction. Hydrogen peroxide decomposition testing revealed that, although HNb₃O₈ was comparable to its exfoliated counterpart, HNb₃O₈-NS, in suppressing hydrogen peroxide decomposition without hydrogen, HNb₃O₈ was virtually ineffective in preventing hydrogen peroxide hydrogenation in the presence of hydrogen. However, compared with HNb₃O₈, HNb₃O₈-NS was found to be still effective at suppressing hydrogen peroxide hydrogenation. The different efficiency observed between HNb₃O₈ and HNb₃O₈-NS in the prevention of hydrogen peroxide hydrogenation implies that use of a highly acidic support is advantageous to effectively suppress faster and therefore more unfavorable hydrogen peroxide hydrogenation compared with decomposition. This result clearly demonstrates that the highly acidic HNb₃O₈ nanosheet can serve as an efficient solid acid support for direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen.     

EPR and Raman investigations into anionic redox chemistry of nanoporous 12CaO·7Al2O3 interacting with O2, H2 and N2O

EPR and Raman spectroscopy jointed with temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and oxidation (TPO) were used to elucidate of the anionic redox processes occurring during the interaction of dioxygen, nitrous oxide and dihydrogen with nanoporous 12CaO·7Al₂O₃. The results showed that hydrogen and oxygen enter the mayenite cages following a dissociative pathway involving hydride, hydroxyl and peroxide intermediates, respectively. Generation and annihilation of the cage O ₂ ⁻ and O⁻ radicals upon oxidative and reductive treatments, confined to the near to the surface region, were found to be reversible. The key intermediates of this process were identified and a detailed mechanism of the surface and cage reactions was proposed.     

Selective degradation of lignin and elimination of HO radicals in pulps by O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and UV laser flash irradiation

HO^. radical is an aggressive reagent to abstract hydrogen from diverse substitutes and lead them to degradation, however, in reaction of active oxygen species with lignins, complex phenolic polymers, in dispersed lignocellulose such as pulp for environment-benign delignification, HO^. radicals should be eliminated as more as possible to prevent cellulose from unfavorably concomitant degradation. A reaction system of O₃ is constructed under UV laser flash irradiation, and HO^. radicals are controlled efficiently by it. A new mechanism is proposed, for the first time, that O^. radicals generated from reaction of O₃ with UV laser flash irradiation might be the contributor to scavenge HO^. radicals.     

Kinetic modeling of aqueous phenol degradation by UV/H2O2 process

A dynamic kinetic model for the oxidation of phenol in water by an UV/H₂O₂ process is developed. The model is based on the elementary chemical and photochemical reactions, initiated by the photolysis of hydrogen peroxide into hydroxyl radicals. The model is validated by using experimental data obtained from the open literature for an actual UV/H₂O₂ process. Using those data and the developed kinetic model, kinetic rate constants for phenol intermediates, catechol and hydroquinone, are estimated. Moreover, the optimum initial hydrogen peroxide concentration is estimated by means of the validated model. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 34–43, 2008     

Oxidation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed with ferrocene in the presence of pyrazine carboxylic acid

It is found that ferrocene in the presence of small amounts of pyrazine carboxylic acid (PCA) effectively catalyzes the oxidation of benzene to phenol with hydrogen peroxide. Two main differences upon the oxidation of two different substrates, i.e., cyclohexane and benzene, with the same H₂O₂-ferrocene-PCA catalytic system are revealed: the rates of benzene oxidation and hydrogen peroxide decomposition are several times lower than the rate of cyclohexane oxidation at close concentrations of both substrates, and the rate constant ratios for the reactions of oxidizing particles with benzene and acetonitrile are significantly lower than would be expected for reactions involving free hydroxyl radicals. The overall rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition, including both the catalase and oxidase routes, is lower in the presence of benzene than in the presence of cyclohexane. It is suggested on the grounds of these data that a catalytically active particle different from the one generated in the absence of benzene is formed in the presence of benzene. This particle catalyzes hydrogen peroxide decomposition less efficiently than the initial complex and generates a dissimilar oxidizing particle that exhibits higher selectivity. It is shown that reactivity of the system at higher concentrations of benzene differs from that of an initial system not containing an aromatic component with the capability of π-coordination with metal ions.     

Hydrogen Peroxide‐mediated Inactivation of Two Chloroplastic Peroxidases,Ascorbate Peroxidase and 2‐Cys Peroxiredoxin†

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, are generated by the photosystems because photoexcited electrons are often generated in excess of requirements for CO₂ fixation and used for reducing molecular oxygen, even under normal environmental conditions. Moreover, ROS generation is increased in chloroplasts if plants are subjected to stresses, such as drought, high salinity and chilling. Chloroplast‐localized isoforms of ascorbate peroxidase and possibly peroxiredoxins assume the principal role of scavenging hydrogen peroxide. However, in vitro studies revealed that both types of peroxidases are easily damaged by hydrogen peroxide and lose their catalytic activities. This is one contributing factor for cellular damage that occurs under severe oxidative stress. In this review, I describe mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide‐mediated inactivation of these two enzymes and discuss a reason why they became susceptible to damage by hydrogen peroxide.     

Effect of iron chelates on luminol chemiluminescence in the presence of xanthine oxidase

Xanthine oxidase, in catalysing the oxidation of hypoxanthine to uric acid, produces hydrogen peroxide. Chemiluminescence is produced by oxidation of luminol by reactive hydroxyl radicals formed from H₂O₂ by Fe-EDTA and similar complexes. The concentrations of the various components in the active reagent are optimized in order to obtain a constant chemiluminescent signal of high intensity. The effect of chelate structure on chemiluminescence generation is studied, and a structure-activity relationship is deduced. The detection limit for xanthine oxidase is 5 pg.     

Bioinspired nonheme iron complex that triggers mitochondrial apoptotic signalling pathway specifically for colorectal cancer cells

The activation of dioxygen is the keystone of all forms of aerobic life. Many biological functions rely on the redox versatility of metal ions to perform reductive activation-mediated processes entailing dioxygen and its partially reduced species including superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals, also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). In biomimetic chemistry, a number of synthetic approaches have sought to design, synthesize and characterize reactive intermediates such as the metal-superoxo, -peroxo, and -oxo species, which are commonly found as key intermediates in the enzymatic catalytic cycle. However, the use of these designed complexes and their corresponding intermediates as potential candidates for cancer therapeutics has scarcely been endeavored. In this context, a series of biomimetic first-row transition metal complexes bearing a picolylamine-based water-soluble ligand, [M(HN₃O₂)]²⁺ (M = Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺; HN₃O₂ = 2-(2-(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)ethoxy)ethanol) were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods including X-ray crystallography and their dioxygen and ROS activation reactivity were evaluated in situ and in vitro. It turned out that among these metal complexes, the iron complex, [Fe(HN₃O₂)(H₂O)]²⁺, was capable of activating dioxygen and hydrogen peroxide and produced the ROS species (e.g., hydroxyl radical). Upon the incubation of these complexes with different cancer cells, such as cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, AU565, SK-BR-3, HeLa S3, HT-29, and HCT116 cells), only the iron complex triggered cellular apoptosis specifically for colorectal cancer cells; the other metal complexes show negligible anti-proliferative activity. More importantly, the biomimetic complexes were harmless to normal cells and produced less ROS therein. The use of immunocytochemistry combined with western blot analysis strongly supported that apoptosis occurred via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway; in the intracellular network, [Fe(HN₃O₂)(H₂O)]²⁺ resulted in (i) the activation and/or production of ROS species, (ii) the induction of intracellular impaired redox balance, and (iii) the promotion of the mitochondrial apoptotic signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells. The results have implications for developing novel biomimetic complexes in cancer treatments and for designing potent candidates with cancer-specific antitumor activity.

A water-soluble iron complex that produces hydroxyl radical species triggers colorectal cancer cell death via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.     

Emission of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) by coreactant electrogenerated chemiluminescence: from O2-insensitive to highly O2-sensitive

We describe the influence of dissolved oxygen on the emission of Ru(bpy)3(2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) by electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) with tertiary amine as coreactant in aqueous solutions. The significance of the reactions between molecular oxygen and the ECL intermediate reducing radicals has been demonstrated for the first time. By varying the experimental conditions, the oxygen effect on different ECL routes of the Ru(bpy)3(2+)/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system was examined. When coreactant direct oxidation played a predominant role in producing ECL, the maximum emission intensity, especially that of the low-oxidation-potential (LOP) ECL, could change from O2-insensitive to highly O2-sensitive with decreasing TPrA concentration. This behavior can be interpreted as follows: A large excess of intermediate reducing radicals was produced at high [TPrA], and the dissolved oxygen within the ECL reaction layer was completely reduced by these radicals and exerted no quenching effect on the emission. At low [TPrA], however, coreactant oxidation generated a relatively small amount of reducing intermediates, and molecular oxygen acted as an interceptor, destroying the intermediates before they participated in the ECL pathways, which led to the obvious reduction of the emission intensity. In the latter case, the less efficient LOP ECL route was more remarkably affected. When ECL was generated primarily via the catalytic route at high [Ru(bpy)3(2+)], the reactions consuming the intermediate radicals by O2 became insignificant, and he drop of emission intensity in the presence of oxygen could mainly be ascribed to the excited-state quenching. A similar oxygen effect was also observed for the Ru(bpy)3(2+)/triethylamine (TEA) system.     

Role of the conformations of tetraoxides in the mechanism of the recombination of peroxide radicals

The MINDO/3 method was used to calculate the equilibrium three-dimensional structure of the simplest representatives of the series of tetraoxides (TO) — H₂O₄ and CH₃O₄H. In the harmonic approximation their force field, and the frequencies and forms of the normal vibrations were calculated. Satisfactory agreement between the theoretically calculated and experimentally measured frequencies was obtained for a peroxide condensate. It was shown that the recombination of tertiary peroxide radicals proceeds through a transoid configuration of the TO, while recombination of primary and secondary peroxide radicals is associated with the formation of a cisoid configuration.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i ksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 363–366, May–June, 1986.