Chromato–Mass Spectrometric Identification of Unusual Products of 4-Isopropylphenol Oxidation in Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

4-Isopropylphenol has been chosen as the simplest object to model the processes of oxidation of organic compounds with air oxygen in aqueous media, since it contains a hydrogen atom at the tertiary carbon atom in the α-position with benzene ring and a hydroxyl group enabling mass-spectrometric detection of the products in the negative ions mode. It has been stated that oxidation of 4-isopropylphenol with air oxygen in aqueous media becomes noticeable as the solution pH approaches the рKа value of the substrate (10.25). The major product [4-isopropyl-2-(4-isopropylphenoxy)phenol] is formed via nucleophilic addition of the starting 4-isopropylphenol at the intermediate product of its oxidation, quinone methide. Intensity of electrochemical oxidation can be tubed by changing the electrode potential. The highest conversion of 4-isopropylphenol has been observed at potential 1.5–3.0 V, the formed compounds being the products of transformation of the same quinone methide intermediate. The obtained data have explained the formation and diversity of dimeric and oligomeric products of oxidation of natural flavonoids.