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THE U.V. PHOTOLYSIS (Λ= 185nm) OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION *
Author(s) -
LINDE H. J. VAN DER,
SONNTAG C. v.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1971.tb06100.x
Subject(s) - glycolaldehyde , homolysis , chemistry , ethylene glycol , radical , photodissociation , methanol , photochemistry , aqueous solution , formaldehyde , acetaldehyde , ethylene , ethanol , organic chemistry , catalysis
— –The u.v. photolysis (Λ= 185 nm) of 2 M aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol was studied at 22°C. Products (quantum yields) are hydrogen (0.20 4 ) formaldehyde (0.19 4 ), glycolaldehyde (0.08), methanol (0.07 4 ), glycerol (0.06), erythritol (0.03), acetaldehyde (0.02), 3,4‐dihydroxybutanal (0.01) and succinaldehyde (0.001). With increasing temperature the yields of all products remain essentially unchanged except that of acetaldehyde (φ= 0.32 at 90°C) which is formed in a chain reaction. The photolysis of (CD 2 OH) 2 yields 91% HD, indicating that the most important primary process is the homolytic splitting of the O‐H bond. The resulting oxy radicals fragmentate largely into formaldehyde and CH 2 OH radicals. Molecular fragmentation processes yielding hydrogen and glycolaldehyde, as well as formaldehyde and methanol, are discussed in the proposed decomposition scheme.