1677
INVESTIGATION OF CYCLOHEXANOL AND CYCLOHEXYL RADICALS
Spectroscopic Investigation of Cyclohexanol and Cyclohexyl Radicals and Their Corresponding Peroxy Radicals by M. Simicl and E. Hayon* Pwneering Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Natkk Laboratories, Natkk, Massachusetts 01760 (Received December 31, 1970) Publication costs assisted bu the
U.S. Army Natick Laboratories
The optical absorption spectra of the intermediates produced in the pulse radiolysis of liquid cyclohexanol and cyclohexane at 22' in the presence of 1 atm of Ar, NzO, and 02 have been determined. The .CeHloOH radical from cyclohexanol was found to have a structureless absorption spectrum with Lax 240 nm, €240 1700 M-' cm-', and to decay with 2k = 6.5 X 107 M - 1 sec-l. The cyclohexane 'C6H11 radical has an absorption maximum at 240 nm, €240 1500 M-1 cm-', and decays with 2k = 2.4 x 109 M-1 sec-'. In the presence of oxygen, structureless absorption bands with A,, 246 nm (e 1600 M-' cm-l) and 255 nm ( E 1900 M-l cm-l) for -02C6HloOH and .OBCBHll radicals, respectively, were observed. In the case of the cyclohexyl peroxy radical, following the second-order decay of the radical to form the tetroxide, on the basis of the Russell mechanism, two other transients were observed which decayed by a first-order process with rates of 5 sec-l and 1.5 X lo-' sec-'. A mechanism is tentatively suggested which involves the formation of a trioxide subsequent to the first-order decay of the tetroxide. Introduction Spectroscopic investigation of some alcohol and hydrocarbon radicals in the liquid phase, and their corresponding peroxy radicals, was one of the earliest attempts using the pulse radiolysis technique. It was foundJ2for instance, that the optical absorption spectra and the cycloof the cyclohexanol radical . C~HIOOH hexyl peroxy radical . 02CeHllwere highly structured in the 290-340- and 260-320-nm regions, respectively. Recent work3 indicated that the absorption spectra of various aliphatic alcohols, in the pure liquid or in aqueous solution, and their corresponding peroxy radicals were smooth and structureless. As part of a program to study the role of peroxy radicals in autoxidation processes, and in view of the o f t e n - q u ~ t e dstructured ~?~ nature of the absorption spectra of peroxy radicals, the pulse radiolysis of liquid cyclohexanol and cyclohexane in the presence and absence of oxygen was reinvestigated. The results obtained are presented below. Experimental Section The experimental conditions used have been des ~ r i b e d . ~ JIjn brief, 2.3-1VIeV electrons, with pulses of -30-nsec duration, were generated by a Febetron 705 System (Field Emission Corp.). Optical cells of 2-cm light path were used. The output of the analyzing light from a xenon lamp was increased by 20-30 times for -1.2 msec by pulsing the lamp. Two high-intensity Bausch and Lomb monochromators were used in series to reduce scattered light below 260 nm. The dose per pulse was determined using KCNS (€500 7600 M-l cm-l). Appropriate corrections were made for the electron density of the medium. The
best commercially available liquids from Phillips and Matheson Coleman and Bell were used.
Results The cyclohexanol used contained -0.3% of cyclohexanone. Since the solvated electrons (produced from the radiolysis of cyclohexanol) react with cyclohexanone to give a-cyclohexanol radical^,^ no effort esolv-
+ >C=O
+ >C-O-
H+ ---f
>COH
(1)
was made to remove it from the system. The system was, nevertheless, investigated in the presence of 1 atm NzO (-0.1 M ) to remove the short-lived .C6H100radical, which absorbs3 predominantly in the 300-450nm region. Excluding the initial contribution of the anion radical (in 1 atm argon) which disappears fast through protonation, the transient absorption spectrum of the cyclohexanol radicals with A,, 240 nm (Figure 1) is identical in Ar and NzO solutions. I n the presence of oxygen (1 atm), the maximum of the transient optical absorption is only slightly shifted to A,, 246 nm; the shape of the spectrum is, however, considerably altered (see Figure l). (1) National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council R e search Associate at Natick. Present address: Radiation Biology Laboratory, University of Texas, Austin. (2) R. L. McCarthy and A. MacLachlan, J . Chem. Phys., 35, 1625 (1961). (3) M. Simic, P. Neta, and E. Hayon, J . Phys. Chem., 73, 3794 (1969).
(4) E.g., M. S. Matheson and L. M.Dorfman, "Pulse Radiolysis," MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1969. (5) K. U. Ingold, Accounts Chem. Res., 2, 1 (1969). (6) J. P. Keene, E. D. Black, and E. Hayon, Rev. Sci. Instrum., 40, 1199 (1969); E. Hayon, J . Chem. Phys., 51, 4881 (1969).
The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 76, N o . 11, 1971
1678
M. SIMICAND E. HAYON
Table I: Absorption Maxima, Extinction Coefficients, and Decay Kinetics of Radicals Produced in the Pulse Radiolysis of Cyclohexanol and Cyclohexane, at 22', in the Presence of Ar, NzO, and 0 2 (1 atm)
System
Cyclohexanol, NSO Cyclohexanol, O2 Cyclohexane, Ar Cyclohexane, 0% Values 130%.
1700 1600 1500 1900
240 246 240 255
270-320 260-280 240 240, 270-290
6.5 x 1.2 x 2.4 x 2.3 X
CSHwOH O&6H&H .CsHii OzCsHlt
107 107 109 loeb
* *
See text for slow first-order decay of intermediates.
I
I
I
0.1
0.3
0.:
d
(j0.2
d 0 0.I
0.1
0
a
200
250
35 0
300
X,nm 200
250
350
300
X,
nm
Figure 1. Transient spectra produced in the pulse radiolysis of cyclohexanol at 22' in the presence of 1 atm of N20 (0)and of 02 (c). Dose per pulse -19 krads. Band width of analyzing light < 1 nm between 300 and 330 nm.
Figure 2. Transient spectra produced in the pulse radiolysis of cyclohexane a t 22' in the presence of 1 atm of Ar ( O ) , NnO (0),and O2 ( 0 ) . Dose per pulse -15 krads.
ably different from that observed in Ar- and 320saturated solutions of cyclohexane. The total peroxy radical yield G R O z = 6.0 was used, based on the product On the basis of the yields of products' in the radiolyyields obtaineds in irradiated cyclohexane 0 2 system: sis of cyclohexanol in the presence of 0 2 , G( C~HIOOH) G(H202) = 0.1, G(cyclohexy1 hydroperoxide) = 1.05, = 7.8 was used in the calculation of the extinction COG(dicyclohexy1 peroxide) = 0.31, G(cyc1ohexanone) = efficients and decay rates, which are given in Table I. 2.02, and G(cyclohexano1) = 1.55. The spectrum of the cyclohexyl radical .CGHll, with The decay kinetic of the . O ~ C ~ H radical ~ I followed , , ,A 240 nm, is presented in Figure 2 . This spectrum good second-order kinetics up to -70% decay. Two is essentially the same in Ar- and NaO-saturated soluadditional transients were observed at 240 nm; these tions, although a somewhat higher yield was observed in the presence of IVZO. A value of G(9CGH11) = 5.78 (7) R. L.McCarthy and A. MacLachlan, T r a n s . Faraday SOC.,57, in argon solutions was used for the calculation of the 1107 (1961). extinction coefficient. (8) K . M. Bansal and R. H . Schuler, J . Phys. Chem., 74, 3924 I n the presence of' 02,a much longer-lived transient (1970). 255 nm, and a spectrum consider(9) G. Dobson and G. Hughes, i b i d . , 69, 1814 (1965). is formed with, , ,A
+
a
The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 76, N o . 11, ID71
INVESTIGATION OF CYCLOHEXANOL AND CYCLOHEXYL RADICALS decayed very slowly and followed first-order kinetics. These events could be represented as kY
"x, Y -+
2R02. kRO_1 X
The relative OD of ROz., X and Y at 240 nm are 0.23, , 0.03, and 0.085, respectively. The decays are 2 k ~ 0 = 2.3 X 106 M-' sec-l, ICX = 5 sec-l, and k y = 1.5 X lo-' sec-'. The spectra of X and Y could not be investigated, owing to the considerable experimental difficulties in the spectral region down to 210 nm.
Discussion Cyclohexanol System. The cyclohexanol radicals .c6HloOH are produced on irradiation of cyclohexanol through ionization and excitation processes. In addition, they could be formed in the reactions of solvated electrons with cyclohexanone or in the presence of NzO H+ via the intermediate OH radical (esolv- NzO --t Nz OH). The spectrum of the .C6H1oOHradical shows neither the well-defined peaks at 302, 314, and 333 nm previously observed2 nor any signs of fine structure in excess of .t5% of the recorded absorbances. The spectrum is, in fact, very similar to the spectrum of the . C6HloOHradical in aqueous s ~ l u t i o nwhere ,~ an overall €240 1400 M-l cm-' was observed. This radical disappears in a bimolecular process, as previously suggested.2 The rate of disappearance in 2 . CsHloOH
'1
(CsHioOH)a
-
I-)
C6H100
+
(2a)
+ CGH~IOH (2b)
cyclohexanol is about 30 times slower than that in waterj3which is probably due to the much higher viscosity of cyclohexanol. Since the product of reaction 2a is mainly vicinal diol, it was suggested2r7that acyclohexanol radicals, >C-OH, are predominantly formed. This is different from the radicals produced from the reaction with OH radicals where it was con-
OH
+ CsHllOH + .C6HloOH + HzO
0 2
* . OzCsHloOH
+ CBHllOH +
(4)
cyclohexanol peroxy radicals have similar spectra in liquid and aqueous3 cyclohexanol: A,, 246 and 242
0 2
(5)
It is not clear in this system whether tetroxides are formed as intermediates (see further below). Cyclohexane System. The cyclohexyl radical, . c6Hll, is produced on irradiation of cyclohexane via excitation and ionization processes, as well as via freeradical reactions.1° The spectrum of 'C6Hll is in agreement with that obtained by Sauer and Mani," 240 nm and €240 2100 M-' cm-l, and who found A,, above 270 nm with the spectrum originally reported.12 In the presence of X20, only a slight increase in the (-15%) was observed-this is considyield of erably less than that indicated from product analysis8 ( 3 40% increase). No satisfactory explanation can be offered at present. The C6Hll radicals disappear in a fast bimolecular reaction (2k = 2.4 X lo9AI-' sec-l), giving dicyclohexyl and cyclohexene as the product. +
2.CaH11 __
-'
(C6HlI)Z
-1
C6HlO
(6%)
+ C&
(6b)
In the presence of oxygen (1 atm), reaction 6 is completely suppressed and is replaced by reaction 7. A '
C6H11
+
0 2
----f
'
(7)
02C6Hll
small amount of hydroperoxy radical is also produced
H
+
0 2
+HOz
(8)
with A,, ~ 2 3 nm,13 5 and probably contributes only to a small extent to the spectrum attributed to the .OsC6Hll radical. This latter spectrum is very similar to the spectra of some other organic peroxy radicals3 and quite different from the originally reported2 spectrum (which exhibited pronounced peaks at 275 and 295 nm). The HOz and .02C6Hll radicals disappear via two minor reactions HOz
(3)
cluded3 that only -20% of the radicals have the unpaired electron in the cy position to the hydroxyl group. On the basis of the similarity of the spectra of .C~HIOOH radicals in liquid and aqueous3 cyclohexanol, it would appear that a as well as /3 and y radicals have indistinguishable spectra. It is only the cy radical which dissociates in aqueous alkaline solutions (pK, = 12.2) to give a significantly different transient s p e ~ t r u m . ~ Oxygen reacts very fast with the radicals produced in these systems, k(R 0,) 3 lo9 M-l sec-'. The
+ .C6HioOH +
nm; emax 1600 and 1500 M-l cm-l, respectively. These radicals disappear in a bimolecular reaction 2 . 02CaHloOH+C6H10O
products
+
1679
+ HOz
--f
HzOz
+0 2
(9)
and probably HOz
+ *0zCsHii+
H02CeXii
+
0 2
(10)
as indicated by product analysisg: G(H202)= 0.1 and G(H02C6Hll) = 0.3. Since the yields of products indicate the absence of a chain reaction, mutual destruction of two peroxy radicals is therefore the predominant mode of disappearance of +02C6Hll radicals. The (10) See, for instance, a review by J. M. Warman, R. D. Asmus, and R. H. Schuler, A d v a n . Chem. Ser., No. 82, 25 (1968). (11) M. C. Sauer and I. Mani, J . P h y s . Chem., 72, 3856 (1968). (12) M. Ebert, J. P. Keene, E. J. Land, and A . J. Swallow, Proc. Roy. Soc., Ser. A , 287, 1 (1965). (13) G. Czapski and L. M. Dorfman, J . P h y s . Chem., 6 8 , 1169 (1964).
The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 76, N o . 1 1 , 1971
M. SIMICAND E. HAYON
1680 second-order decay kinetics is in accord with this mechanism. This reaction probably involves the initial formation of a tetroxide5#l4
0
/\
0
I
0
/\
0
0
I
I
c-c
C
\
H
+
I
H
H The slow decay of our transient X ( k x = 5 sec-') could be identified with this process. However, the decay of X does not lead t o products but to another transient, which we designate as Y. On the basis of these observations, a modified mechanism for the decomposition of the tetroxide is tentatively proposed. A trioxide is suggested to be formed
The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 76, KO.11, 2971
0
I
>C which is commonly accepted as the intermediate in autoxidation reactions. The decomposition of the tetroxide to form two allioxy radicals and their subsequent rapid disproportionation in the cage is less preferred than the Russell mechanism." This involves decomposition of the tetroxide to form a cyclic transition state in which one of the a-hydrogen atoms is transferred to give the products ketone, alcohol, and oxygen.
0 0-C
C
/\ 0 + HO-C< / I
(13)
'\\
0
H
H
which subsequently decomposes
0
/\ 0 >C "'\, /
---+
>c=o +
0 2
(14)
0 with k14 = k y = 1.5 X 10-lsec-'. The formation of the organic trioxide as an intermediate is not unreasonable, since other species like 03-and ROai5are well established. Whether it exists. in an open radical form or in a cyclic highly strained form is not clear. Further kinetic studies on a number of other primary and secondary peroxy radicals are needed. The Russell mechanism5vi4requires that the oxygen evolved in the decomposition of the intermediate tetroxide (reaction 12) be formed in an excited singlet state. It is tempting to speculate that the "residual" molecular oxidation process observed by Dobson and Hughesg in the radiation-induced oxidation of organic compounds may be formed by reaction with singlet excited oxygen.
Acknowledgment. We thank Dr. P. Neta for his contribution to this work in the preliminary experiments. (14) G. A. Russell, J. Arner. Chem. ~ o c . 79, , 3871 (1957). (16) R.W.Fessenden, J. Chem. Phys., 48,3725 (1968).
