The photolysis of the aqueous thymine system has been investigated
at 214 nm, 229 nm and 254 nm at room temperature. Products
of photolysis have been identified as hydrogen peroxide, 6-hydroxy-5-
hydroperoxy thymine and tentatively 5-hydroxy-6-hydroperoxy thymine.
These together with thymine loss, were determined quantitatively
under a variety of conditions....
There is an urgent need to lower the concentration of sulfur in diesel fuels. Growing concern over environmental effects caused by burning sulfur-containing diesel has led the world to higher standards in fuel refinement. Because of these lower standards, many techniques have been researched to remove sulfur containing compounds or...
In this dissertation, I present electronic spectroscopy of a few biologically relevant species and their complexes with solvent molecules in the gas phase using a variety of techniques, including resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), laser induced fluorescence (LIF), and zero kinetic energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy. My work on several methylated...
Sodium ligninsulfonate, a water soluble wide-range molecular
weight polymeric by-product of the paper pulping industry, is
added as waste effluent to water ways or burned, causing extreme
pollution. The polymer is highly resistant to biodegradation. Therefore,
modification of the structure to a more readily biodegradable
form would be desirable, to...
Several experiments were undertaken to investigate the mechanism of
photodechlorination of pentachlorobenzene. The thermal methoxydechlorination
reaction of pentachlorobenzene was studied. In DMSO at 50 °C sodium
methoxide reacts smoothly with pentachlorobenzene to give three
tetrachloroanisole isomers. A second-order kinetic plot for this reaction is linear to
high precision, indicating that...
Significant inputs of hydrocarbons are continually released into the environment from anthropogenic and natural sources. Some of the most toxic hydrocarbon compounds are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are known for their ability to absorb ultraviolet light and enhance toxicity. Generally, PAHs exert their toxicity via narcosis but UV-absorbing...
Columbia River sediment was irradiated with ultraviolet light to
determine if organic material could be removed without altering the
sorptive properties of the hydrous oxides of iron and manganese.
A laboratory preparation of Zn-65 spiked hydrous ferric oxide
was subjected to ultraviolet irradiation in order to assess the photochemical
effect...