Decomposition of Nitogen Heterocyclic Compounds(NHCs) in Aqueous Solution by Sonication

  • Published : 2003.11.01

Abstract

The sonolytic decomposition of NHCs, such as atrazine[6-chloro-N-ethyl-N' -(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], simazine( 6-chloro-N,N' -diethyl-l ,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine), trietazine(6-chloro-N,N,N'-triethyl-l,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine), in water was investigated at a ultrasound frequency of 200kHz with an acoustic intensity of 200W under argon and air atmospheres. The concentration of NHCs decreased with irradiation, indicating pseudo-first-order kinetics. The rates were in the range 1.06∼2.07 (x10/sup -3/ min/sup -1/) under air and 1.30∼2.59(x10/sup -3/ min/sup -1/)under argon at a concentration of 200μM of NHCs. The rate of hydroxyl radicals(·OH) formation from water is 19.8μM min/sup -1/ under argon and 14.7 μM min/sup -1/ under air in the same sonolysis conditions. The sonolysis of NHCs is effectively inhibited, but not completely, by the addition of t-BuOH(2-methyl-2-propanol), which is known to be an efficient ·OH radical scavenger in aqueous sonolysis. This suggests that the main decomposition of NHCs proceeds via reaction with ·OH radical; a thermal reaction also occurs, although its contribution is small. The addition of appropriate amounts of Fenton's reagent [Fe/sup 2+/] accelerates the decomposition. This is probably due to the regeneration of ·OH radicals from hydrogen peroxide, which would be formed from recombination of ·OH radicals and which may contribute a little to the decomposition.

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