CHEMISTRY OF SINGLET OXYGEN—XVIII. RATES OF REACTION AND QUENCHING OF α‐TOCOPHEROL AND SINGLET OXYGEN*

Abstract

Abstract —α‐Tocopherol scavenges singlet oxygen (produced by methylene blue photosensitization in methanol) by a combination of chemical reaction (4.6 times 10 7 M ‐1 s ‐1 ) and quenching (6.2 times 10 8 M ‐1 s ‐1 ). The total rate of scavenging (6.7 times 10 8 M ‐1 s ‐1 ) makes it an effective protective agent against photooxidation mediated by singlet oxygen.