The Radiolysis of Nitrate Ions Dispersed in a Potassium Bromide Matrix

Abstract

Data are presented on the radioinduced decomposition of nitrate ions dispersed in a potassium bromide lattice. It is shown that the nitrite ion found in an aqueous solution of the irradiated solid existed in the solid prior to dissolution and did not arise by reaction of stabilized intermediates with the water. The equivalence of the initial slopes of the curves for the decomposition of nitrate ion and the formation of nitrite ion confirms this result. It is shown that no equilibrium can be obtained during the decomposition of the nitrate ion because it is decomposed when dispersed in a KBr lattice with the formation of unidentified products which do not recombine to form an equivalent amount of nitrate ion. This means that it is not possible to equate the amount of nitrite ion found after irradiation with the amount of nitrate ion decomposed. It is shown that oxygen atoms diffuse within the potassium bromide lattice, since some nitrate ion is produced during the decomposition of the nitrite ion. (auth)