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Photochemical reaction of nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: effect by solvent and structure

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Abstract

Photochemical degradation of 1-nitropyrene, 2-nitrofluorene, 2,7-dinitrofluorene, 6-nitrochrysene, 3-nitrofluoranthene, 5-nitroacenaphthene, and 9-nitroanthracene was examined in CHCl3, CH2Cl2, DMF, DMF/H2O (80/20), CH3CN, or CH3CN/H2O (80/20). The degradation mostly follows the first order kinetics; but a few follow second order kinetics or undergo self-catalysis. The photodegradation rates follow the order: CHCl3 > CH2Cl2 > DMF > DMF/H2O > CH3CN > CH3CN/H2O. DMF is an exceptional solvent because three of the seven compounds undergo self-catalytic reaction. 9-Nitroanthracene, which has a perpendicular nitro group, is the fastest, while the more compact 1-nitropyrene and 3-nitrofluoranthene are the slowest degrading compounds.

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Acknowledgments

This research was in part supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH-SCORE S06 GM08047). We thank NIH-RCMI for Analytical Chemistry Facility established at JSU. Gernerique Stewart would like to thank the US Department of Education Title III for funding (Grant P031B040101).

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  1. Gernerique Stewart

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, Grambling State University, Grambling, LA, 71245, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA

    Gernerique Stewart, Keonia Smith, Ashley Chornes, Tracy Harris, Tiffany Honeysucker & Hongtao Yu

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  1. Gernerique Stewart
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  2. Keonia Smith
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  3. Ashley Chornes
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Correspondence to Hongtao Yu.

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Stewart, G., Smith, K., Chornes, A. et al. Photochemical reaction of nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: effect by solvent and structure. Environ Chem Lett 8, 301–306 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0221-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0221-2

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