Radiation-induced oxidation of 2-propanol by hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solutions

Abstract

The radiation-induced oxidation of 2-propanol by hydrogen peroxide in neutral deaerated aqueous solution has been investigated. 2-Propanol is oxidized to acetone, and hydrogen peroxide reduced in stoichiometrically equivalent high yields. The yields are independent of hydrogen peroxide concentration in the range 5 × 10 −2 to 10 −3 M and linearly dependent on alcohol concentration in the range 0.13 to 1.05 M. The reaction yields increased with decreasing dose rate.The results are explained by a chain mechanism in which initiation occurs via H-atom abstraction from 2-propanol to form either (CH 3 ) 2 ĊOH (1) or CH 3 CHOH ĊH 2 (2). 1 reacts with H 2 O 2 in a chain propagating reaction[Formula: see text]2 may abstract the α hydrogen from the parent alcohol[Formula: see text]or undergo bimolecular termination. A lower limit of 53 ± 101mole −1 s −1 is estimated for the rate constant for this radical conversion reaction.