Electron-Transfer Oxidation of Chlorophenols by Uranyl Ion Excited State in Aqueous Solution. Steady-State and Nanosecond Flash Photolysis Studies

The oxidation of chlorophenols by photoexcited uranyl ion was studied in aqueous solution at concentrations where the ground-state interactions were negligible. Nanosecond flash photolysis showed that a clean electron-transfer process from the chlorophenols to the excited uranyl ion is involved. This is suggested to lead to the formation of a U(V)/chlorophenoxyl radical pair complex. The efficiency of this charge-transfer process is unity for the three chlorophenols. However, low product yields suggest that in the absence of oxygen, back electron transfer, both within the radical pair and from separated uranium(V) to phenoxyl radicals, appears to be the major reaction pathway. In the presence of oxygen the quantum yields of disappearance of chlorophenol and of photoproduct formation increased. This leads to the conclusion that oxygen favors reaction with uranium(V) and/or the uranium(V)−phenoxyl radical pair, leading to the formation of the superoxide anion and its conjugate acid, HO2•, which then regenerate UO22+. Based on this, a catalytic cycle for chlorophenol photooxidation involving uranyl ion and molecular oxygen is proposed

Deactivation processes of the lowest excited state of [UO2(H2O)5]2+ in aqueous solution

A detailed analysis of the photophysical behaviour of uranyl ion in aqueous solutions at room temperature is given using literature data, together with results of new experimental and theoretical studies to see whether the decay mechanism of the lowest excited state involves physical deactivation by energy transfer or a chemical process through hydrogen atom abstraction. Comparison of the radiative lifetimes determined from quantum yield and lifetime data with that obtained from the Einstein relationship strongly suggests that the emitting state is identical to that observed in the lowest energy absorption band. From study of the experimental rate and that calculated theoretically, from deuterium isotope effects and the activation energy for decay support is given to a deactivation mechanism of hydrogen abstraction involving water clusters to give uranium(V) and hydroxyl radicals. Support for hydroxyl radical formation comes from electron spin resonance spectra observed in the presence of the spin traps 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide and tert-butyl-N-phenylnitrone and from literature results on photoinduced uranyl oxygen exchange and photoconductivity. It has previously been suggested that the uranyl emission above pH 1.5 may involve an exciplex between excited uranyl ion and uranium(V). Evidence against this mechanism is given on the basis of quenching of uranyl luminescence by uranium(V), together with other kinetic reasoning. No overall photochemical reaction is observed on excitation of aqueous uranyl solutions, and it is suggested that this is mainly due to reoxidation of UO2+ by hydroxyl radicals in a radical pair. An alternative process involving oxidation by molecular oxygen is analysed experimentally and theoretically, and is suggested to be too slow to be a major reoxidation pathway