Pedro M. David Gara

A combined theoretical and experimental study on the oxidation of fulvic acid by the sulfate radical anion

The kinetics of the reaction of sulfate radicals with the IHSS Waskish peat fulvic acid in water was investigated in the temperature range from 289.2 to 305.2 K. The proposed mechanism considers the reversible binding of the sulfate radicals by the fulvic acid. The kinetic analysis of the data allows the determination of the thermodynamic parameters DeltaG degrees = -10.2 kcal mol(-1), DeltaH degrees = -16 kcal mol(-1) and DeltaS degrees = -20.3 cal K(-1) mol(-1) for the reversible association at 298.2 K. Theoretical (DFT) calculations performed with the Buffle model of the fulvic acids support the formation of H-bonded adducts between the inorganic radicals and the humic substances. The experimental enthalpy change compares well with the theoretical values found for some of the investigated adducts.

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation on the Oxidation of Gallic Acid by Sulfate Radical Anions

By monitoring the decay of SO4*- after flash photolysis of aqueous solutions of S2O82- at different pH values, the kinetics of the reaction of SO4*- radicals with gallic acid and the gallate ion was investigated. The bimolecular rate constants for the reactions of the sulfate radicals with gallic acid and the gallate ion were found to be (6.3 +/- 0.7) x 10(8) and (2.9 +/- 0.2) x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. On the basis of the oxygen-independent second-order decay kinetics and on their absorption spectra, the organic radicals formed as intermediates of these reactions were assigned to the corresponding phenoxyl radicals. DFT calculations in the gas phase and aqueous solution support formation of the phenoxyl radicals by H abstraction from the phenols to the sulfate radical anion. The observed recombination of the phenoxyl radicals of gallic acid to yield substituted biphenyls and quinones is also supported by the calculations. HPLC/MS product analysis showed formation of one of the predicted quinones.

Silicon Nanoparticle Photophysics and Singlet Oxygen Generation

The effect of molecular oxygen and water on the blue photoluminescence of silicon nanoparticles synthesized by anodic oxidation of silicon wafers and surface functionalized with 2-methyl 2-propenoic acid methyl ester is investigated. The particles of 3 +/- 1 nm diameter and a surface composition of Si(3)O(6)(C(5)O(2)H(8)) exhibit room-temperature luminescence in the wavelength range 300-600 nm upon excitation with 300-400 nm light. The luminescence shows vibronic resolution and high quantum yields in toluene suspensions, while a vibronically unresolved spectrum and lower emission quantum yields are observed in aqueous suspensions. The luminescence intensity, though not the spectrum features, depends on the presence of dissolved O(2). Strikingly, the luminescence decay time on the order of 1 ns does not depend on the solvent or on the presence of O(2). To determine the mechanisms involved in these processes, time-resolved and steady-state experiments are performed. These include low-temperature luminescence, heavy atom effect, singlet molecular oxygen ((1)O(2)) phosphorescence detection, reaction of specific probes with (1)O(2), and determination of O(2) and N(2) adsorption isotherms at 77 K. The results obtained indicate that physisorbed O(2) is capable of quenching nondiffusively the particle luminescence at room temperature. The most probable mechanism for (1)O(2) generation involves the energy transfer from an exciton singlet state to O(2) to yield an exciton triplet of low energy (<0.98 eV) and (1)O(2). In aqueous solutions, excited silicon nanoparticles are able to reduce methylviologen on its surface.

Photoinduced Degradation of the Herbicide Clomazone Model Reactions for Natural and Technical Systems

The photodegradation of the herbicide clomazone in the presence of S2O82− or of humic substances of different origin was investigated. A value of (9.4 ± 0.4) × 108 m−1 s−1 was measured for the bimolecular rate constant for the reaction of sulfate radicals with clomazone in flash‐photolysis experiments. Steady state photolysis of peroxydisulfate, leading to the formation of the sulfate radicals, in the presence of clomazone was shown to be an efficient photodegradation method of the herbicide. This is a relevant result regarding the in situ chemical oxidation procedures involving peroxydisulfate as the oxidant. The main reaction products are 2‐chlorobenzylalcohol and 2‐chlorobenzaldehyde. The degradation kinetics of clomazone was also studied under steady state conditions induced by photolysis of Aldrich humic acid or a vermicompost extract (VCE). The results indicate that singlet oxygen is the main species responsible for clomazone degradation. The quantum yield of O2(a1Δg) generation (λ = 400 nm) for the VCE in D2O, ΦΔ = (1.3 ± 0.1) × 10−3, was determined by measuring the O2(a1Δg) phosphorescence at 1270 nm. The value of the overall quenching constant of O2(a1Δg) by clomazone was found to be (5.7 ± 0.3) × 107 m−1 s−1 in D2O. The bimolecular rate constant for the reaction of clomazone with singlet oxygen was kr = (5.4 ± 0.1) × 107 m−1 s−1, which means that the quenching process is mainly reactive.

Photodegradation of Soil Organic Matter and its Effect on Gram-negative Bacterial Growth

To learn more about the role of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the production of bioavailable products of the dissolved organic matter, we investigate here the effect of the photolysis (λexc > 320 nm) of a soil extract (SE) on the growth of bacteria isolated from the same soil as used for obtaining the extract. Comparative experiments with Aldrich humic acid (AHA) as substrate were performed. The photodegradation of the SE was evaluated with different techniques—UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation emission matrices (EEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Known ROS scavengers were employed to study the effect of photochemically produced ROS on the photodegradation of the substrates. To evaluate the effect of irradiation on the bioavailability of the SE and AHA, photolyzed and nonphotolyzed substrates were added to different culture media and the growth of Pseudomonas sp. isolated from the soil and a strain of Escherichia coli were studied. The different results obtained were assigned to the dissimilar metabolisms of both bacteria.

Solvent Dependent Switching of 3MLLCT and 1IL Luminescent States in [ClRe(CO)3(Bathocuproinedisulfonate)]2–: Spectroscopic and Computational Study

Steady state and time-resolved luminescence experiments and calorimetric studies, as well as time-dependent density functional theory calculations performed on [ClRe(CO)(3)(Bathocuproinedisulfonate)](2-), show that the photophysical properties of the Re(I) anionic complex are determined by the balance between intraligand ((1)IL) and metal-ligand-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MLLCT) excited states. In organic solvents, (3)MLLCT states prevail and the usual expected behavior is observed: bathochromic shift of the emission maximum, a reduced luminescence quantum yield and the shortening of the excited-state lifetime upon increasing the polarity of the solvent. In addition, singlet oxygen ((1)O2) is generated with high quantum yields (Φ(Δ) ≈ 0.5 in CH(3)CN) due to the quenching of the (3)MLLCT luminescence by (3)O2. The total quenching rate constant of triplet state by oxygen, k(q), reach values between 2.2 and 2.4 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) for the organic solvents studied. In CH(3)CN, the fraction of triplet states quenched by O2 which yield (1)O2, f(O2)T, is nearly unity. In aqueous solution, where no singlet oxygen is generated, the luminescence of the Re(I) complex is of (1)IL character with a emission quantum yield (Φ(em)) strongly pH dependent: Φ(em,(pH=2))/Φ(em,(pH=10)) ≈ 5.6. The variation of the pH of the solution tunes the photophysical properties of the Re(I) complex by changing the relative amount of the different species existing in aqueous solutions: [ClRe(CO)3(BCS)](2-), [(OH)Re(CO)3(BCS)](2-) and [(H2O)Re(CO)3(BCS)](−). TD-DFT calculations show that the percentage of charge transfer character of the electronic transitions is substantially higher in the organic solvents than in aqueous solutions, in agreement with the increase of (1)IL character of HOMO in [(H2O)Re(CO)3(BCS)](−) relative to [ClRe(CO)3(BCS)](2-).

Remediation of a soil chronically contaminated with hydrocarbons through persulfate oxidation and bioremediation

The impact of remediation combining chemical oxidation followed by biological treatment on soil matrix and microbial community was studied, of a chronically hydrocarbon contaminated soil sourced from a landfarming treatment. Oxidation by ammonium persulfate produced a significant elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and an increase in PAH bioavailability. Organic-matter oxidation mobilized nutrients from the soil matrix. The bacterial populations were affected negatively, with a marked diminution in the diversity indices. In this combined treatment with oxidation and bioremediation working in tandem, the aliphatic-hydrocarbon fractions were largely eliminated along with additional PAHs. The chemical and spectroscopic analyses indicated a change in soil nutrients. In spite of the high residual-sulfate concentration, a rapid recovery of the cultivable bacterial population and the establishment of a diverse and equitable microbial community were obtained. Pyrosequencing analysis demonstrated a marked succession throughout this twofold intervention in accordance with the chemical and biologic shifts observed. These remediation steps produced different effects on the soil physiology. Spectroscopic analysis became a useful tool for following and comparing those treatments, which involved acute changes in a matrix of such chronically hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. The combined treatment increased the elimination efficiency of both the aliphatic hydrocarbons and the PAHs at the expense of the mobilized organic matter, thus sustaining the recovery of the resilient populations throughout the treatment. The high-throughput-DNA-sequencing techniques enabled the identification of the predominant populations that were associated with the changes observed during the treatments.

Reactions of CL˙/CL2˙- radicals with the nanoparticle silica surface and with humic acids : Model reactions for the aqueous phase chemistry of the atmosphere

Reactions of chlorine radicals might play a role in aqueous aerosols where a core of inorganic components containing insulators such as SiO2 and dissolved HUmic‐LIke Substances (HULIS) are present. Herein, we report conventional flash photolysis experiments performed to investigate the aqueous phase reactions of silica nanoparticles (NP) and humic acid (HA) with chlorine atoms, Cl•, and dichloride radical anions, Cl2•−. Silica NP and HA may be taken as rough models for the inorganic core and HULIS contained in atmospheric particles, respectively. Both Cl• and Cl2•− were observed to react with the deprotonated silanols on the NP surface with reaction rate constants, k ± σ, of (9 ± 6) × 107 M−1 s−1 and (7 ± 4) × 105 M−1 s−1, respectively. The reaction of Cl• with the surface deprotonated silanols leads to the formation of SiO• defects. HA are also observed to react with Cl• and Cl2•− radicals, with reaction rate constants at pH 4 of (3 ± 2) × 1010 M−1 s−1 and (1.2 ± 0.3) × 109 M−1 s−1, respectively. The high values observed for these constants were discussed in terms of the multifunctional heterogeneous mixture of organic molecules conforming HA.

Photophysical and Photochemical Properties of Naturally Occurring normelinonine F and Melinonine F Alkaloids and Structurally Related N(2)- and/or N(9)-methyl-β-carboline Derivatives

In the present work, we have synthesized and fully characterized the photophysical and photochemical properties of a selected group of N‐methyl‐β‐carboline derivatives (9‐methyl‐β‐carbolines and iodine salts of 2‐methyl‐ and 2,9‐dimethyl‐β‐carbolinium) in aqueous solutions, in the pH range 4.0–14.5. Moreover, despite the quite extensive studies reported in the literature regarding the overall photophysical behavior of N‐unsubstituted βCs, this work constitutes the first full and unambiguous characterization of anionic species of N‐unsubstituted βCs (norharmane, harmane and harmine), present in aqueous solution under highly alkaline conditions (pH > 13.0). Acid dissociation constants (Ka), thermal stabilities, room temperature UV–visible absorption and fluorescence emission and excitation spectra, fluorescence quantum yields (ФF) and fluorescence lifetimes (τF), as well as quantum yields of singlet oxygen production (ФΔ) have been measured for all the studied compounds. Furthermore, for the first time to our knowledge, chemometric techniques (MCR‐ALS and PARAFAC) were applied on these systems, providing relevant information about the equilibria and species involved. The impact of all the foregoing observations on the biological role, as well as the potential biotechnological applications of these compounds, is discussed.