Photochemical transformation of metallic and non-metallic ions in an aqueous environment

Abstract

The invention comprises a method of photochemical transformation of metallic and non-metallic ions in an aqueous environment. The method comprises exposing the ions to UV irradiation in the presence of an organic acid. The aqueous ions are reduced by the method and may form hydrides, alkyl or carbonyl compounds.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION The subject invention is directed to a method whereby UV radiation and an organic acid are used to reduce, alkylate or carbonylate an ion of a noble or transition metal in an aqueous environment. The method may also be used with aqueous ions of other elements including sulfur, iodine and phosphorus. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Biomethylation of heavy metals has been the subject of great interest for more than one hundred years and has become accepted as a common, but important, chemical process occurring in the environment for many elements, including tin, mercury, iodine, bromine, and sulfur [1]. More recently, bio-transformation of antimony and arsenic compounds to volatile toxic species has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) [2-3]. Although almost all emphasis has been placed on biomethylation, some recent research has shown that a methylchromium bond has been formed during the photolysis of tert-butoxy radicals and chromium (II) in aqueous s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a method for reducing ions of metals or elements in an aqueous environment and synthesizing compounds containing metal-carbon or metal-hydrogen bonds. The method involves adding a carboxylic acid to the aqueous environment and exposing it to UV light while a metal ion is present. The resulting compounds can be volatile, and the method can be used with various metals or elements. The technical effect of this invention is the ability to efficiently produce new compounds containing metal-carbon or metal-hydrogen bonds, which can have various applications in various fields.

Problems solved by technology

When fungal growth was favored, illness and fatalities often resulted for those who slept in such rooms.

Selenium has been identified as an essential trace element; excessively low or high dietary intake results in toxicity and thus constitutes a threat to personal health[ 19, 20].

Losses of selenium from soils by bio-methylation may, in some cases, give rise to an insufficient supply of selenium to animals [52].

However, there have been no reports on the role of direct photochemical alkylation of inorganic selenium.

Despite much progress in understanding bio-methylation as a link between inorganic and organic selenium under natural conditions, this goal remains elusive.

However, in many circumstances, bio-detoxification is unavailable or insufficient to remove contaminants such as metal ions from aqueous environments.

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