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Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of ?,?-Unsaturated C₄-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.

ABSTRACT: Despite decades of research on the fate of phenolic compounds when water is disinfected with hypochlorous acid (HOCl), there is still considerable uncertainty regarding the formation mechanisms and identity of ring cleavage products, especially at higher chlorine doses. This study focuses on the formation of electrophilic ring cleavage products-a class of compounds that poses potential health risks at relatively low concentrations-from the reactions of phenols with chlorine. By monitoring the formation of products of reactions between ring cleavage products and the model nucleophile N-?-acetyl-lysine, we identified the ?,?-unsaturated dialdehyde 2-butene-1,4-dial (BDA) and its chlorinated analogue, chloro-2-butene-1,4-dial (Cl-BDA), after the chlorination of phenol, para- and ortho-substituted chlorophenols (2-Cl, 4-Cl, 2,4-diCl-, 2,6-diCl, and 2,4,6-triCl-phenol), and 3,5-di-Cl-catechol. Maximum yields of BDA were observed when chlorine was present in large excess (HOCl/phenol ratios of 30:1 to 50:1), with yields ranging from 18% for phenol to 46% for 3,5-diCl-catechol. BDA and Cl-BDA formation was also observed during the chlorination of brominated phenols. For methyl-substituted phenols, the presence of methyl substituents in both positions ortho to the hydroxy group inhibited BDA and Cl-BDA formation, but the chlorination of cresols and 2,3-dimethylphenol yielded methyl- and dimethyl-BDA species. This study provides new insights into the formation of reactive and toxic electrophiles during chlorine disinfection. It also provides evidence for the importance of phenoxy radicals produced by one-electron transfer reactions initiated by chlorine in the production of dicarbonyl ring cleavage products.

SUBMITTER: Prasse C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7665061 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of α,β-Unsaturated C<sub>4</sub>-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.

Prasse Carsten C von Gunten Urs U Sedlak David L DL

Environmental science & technology 20200106 2

Despite decades of research on the fate of phenolic compounds when water is disinfected with hypochlorous acid (HOCl), there is still considerable uncertainty regarding the formation mechanisms and identity of ring cleavage products, especially at higher chlorine doses. This study focuses on the formation of electrophilic ring cleavage products-a class of compounds that poses potential health risks at relatively low concentrations-from the reactions of phenols with chlorine. By monitoring the fo ...[more]

PMID: 31904937

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Project description:Chemical oxidation with hydroxyl radical (HO•) and sulfate radical (SO4•-) is often used to treat water contaminated with aromatic compounds. Although oxidation of aromatics by these radicals has been studied for decades, the commonly accepted transformation pathway-sequential hydroxylation of the ring followed by ring cleavage and mineralization of the resulting products-does not account for the loss of the parent compound observed during the initial phase of the process. To assess the importance of pathways for aromatic compound oxidation that do not result in ring hydroxylation, we identified products formed after the initial reaction between HO• or SO4•- and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and (BTEX) xylene isomers. We quantified products of ring hydroxylation and oxidation of alkyl substituents as well as a suite of ring-cleavage products, including acetaldehyde, formic acid, 6-, 7-, or 8-carbon oxoenals and oxodials. Other ring-cleavage products, which were most likely aldehydes and organic acids, were observed but not quantified. When SO4•- was used as the oxidant, aromatic organosulfates also were formed. Our results indicated that the initial phase of the oxidation process involves radical addition, hydrogen abstraction, or one-electron transfer to the ring followed by reaction with O2. The hydroxycyclohexadienylperoxy radical produced in this reaction can eliminate hydroperoxyl radical (HO2•) to produce a phenolic compound or it can rearrange to form a bicyclic peroxy intermediate that subsequently undergoes ring cleavage. Hydroxylation of the ring and oxidation of the alkyl substituent accounted for approximately 15-40% of the reacted mass of the parent compound. Ring-cleavage products for which quantification was possible accounted for approximately 2 to 10% of the reacted mass. Our results raise concerns about the formation of toxic ring-cleavage products during the initial stage of oxidation whenever HO• or SO4•- is used for the treatment of water containing benzene or alkylbenzenes.

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Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of ?,?-Unsaturated C₄-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.

Publications

Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of α,β-Unsaturated C<sub>4</sub>-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.

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Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of ?,?-Unsaturated C4-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.

Publications

Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of α,β-Unsaturated C<sub>4</sub>-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

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Chlorination of Phenols Revisited: Unexpected Formation of ?,?-Unsaturated C₄-Dicarbonyl Ring Cleavage Products.