Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol.98, No.6, 1634-1640, 1994
Free-Radical Formation by Ultrasound in Organic Liquids - A Spin-Trapping and EPR Study
The 50-kHz sonolysis of a variety of organic liquids, including n-alkanes (C-8-C-16), n-alcohols (C-3-C-8), cyclohexane, toluene, dioxane, and N,N-dimethylformamide, was investigated by EPR and spin trapping. 2,4,6-Tri-tertbutylnitrosobenzene (3tBNB) was found to be a particularly suitable spin trap since primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl radicals could be distinguished. By comparison with sonolysis of the fully deuterated analogues of the organic liquids (N,N-dimethylformamide-d(7), n-butanol-d(10), cyclohexane-d(12), dioxane-d(8)), the absence of radicals originating from the thermal decomposition of the spin trap (3tBNB) under conditions of the present experiments could be established. When the spin traps 3tBNB and 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzenesulfonate were compared in the sonolysis of N,N-dimethylformamide and N,N-dimethylformamide-d(7), similar results were obtained. For the homologous series of n-alkanes and n-alcohols spin adduct yields with 3tBNB increase with decreasing solvent vapor pressure. Spin trapping appears to be a promising method for investigating the mechanisms of sonochemical reactions in organic liquids.
Keywords:SYNCHRONOUS PICOSECOND SONOLUMINESCENCE;ISOTOPE-EXCHANGE-REACTIONS;AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS;THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION;NONVOLATILE SOLUTES;PYROLYSIS RADICALS;WATER MIXTURES;SONOCHEMISTRY;SONOLYSIS;CAVITATION