Mechanism study on the reactions between biphenyl and HNO2 initiated by 355 nm irradiation in aqueous phase

Abstract

The reactions taking place in the mixed solution of biphenyl and nitrous acid after it was exposed to UV irradiation were studied in this research work. The transient species were identified with the nanosecond transient spectroscopic technique, and the final products were ascertained by GC-MS analysis. It was shown that the OH radical, generated by the direct photolysis of nitrous acid, would attack biphenyl molecule to form Bp-OH adduct with a rate constant of 9.5×109 L·mol−1·s−1. The Bp-OH adduct could either react with H+ or be oxidized by nitrous acid to form nitrosobiphenol. The reactions between biphenyl and nitrous acid under UV irradiation in atmospheric aqueous phase were therefore suggested to be one promising source of nitrocompounds in the environment.