Carbon and hydrogen stable isotope analysis for characterizing the chemical degradation of tributyl phosphate. 2018

Jia Liu, and Langping Wu, and Steffen Kümmel, and Jun Yao, and Thomas Schaefer, and Hartmut Herrmann, and Hans-Hermann Richnow
School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan Road No.30, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China; Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstraße15, Leipzig 04318, Germany.

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) belongs to the group of trialkyl substituted organophosphate esters. Its chemical reactivity depends on the stability of various chemical bonds. TBP was used as a model compound for the development of a concept using stable isotope fractionation associated with bond cleavage reactions for better understanding the fate of TBP in the environment. Carbon isotope enrichment factors (εC) of TBP hydrolysis were found to be pH dependent (-3.8 ± 0.3‰ at pH 2, -4.6 ± 0.5‰ at pH 7, -2.8 ± 0.1‰ at pH 9, no isotope fractionation at pH 12), which is in accordance with the mode of a SN2 hydrolytic bond cleavage. Hydrogen isotope fractionation was negligible as no H bond cleavage is involved during hydrolysis. The apparent carbon kinetic isotope effect (AKIEC) ranged from 1.045 to 1.058. In contrast to hydrolysis, both carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation were observed during radical oxidation of TBP by OH and SO4-, yielding εC from -0.9 ± 0.1‰ to -0.5 ± 0.1‰ and εH from -20 ± 2‰ to -11 ± 1‰. AKIEC and AKIEH varied from 1.007 to 1.011 and from 1.594 to 2.174, respectively. The correlation of 2H and 13C isotope fractionation revealed Λ values ranging from 17 ± 1 to 25 ± 6. Results demonstrated that the correlation of 2H and 13C isotope fractionation of TBP allowed to identify radical reactions and to distinguish them from hydrolysis. The presented dual isotope analysis approach has diagnostic value for characterizing the chemical transformation of TBP in the environment.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007700 Kinetics The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D010755 Organophosphates Carbon-containing phosphoric acid derivatives. Included under this heading are compounds that have CARBON atoms bound to one or more OXYGEN atoms of the P( Organophosphate,Phosphates, Organic,Phosphoric Acid Esters,Organopyrophosphates,Acid Esters, Phosphoric,Esters, Phosphoric Acid,Organic Phosphates
D002244 Carbon A nonmetallic element with atomic symbol C, atomic number 6, and atomic weight [12.0096; 12.0116]. It may occur as several different allotropes including DIAMOND; CHARCOAL; and GRAPHITE; and as SOOT from incompletely burned fuel. Carbon-12,Vitreous Carbon,Carbon 12,Carbon, Vitreous
D002247 Carbon Isotopes Stable carbon atoms that have the same atomic number as the element carbon but differ in atomic weight. C-13 is a stable carbon isotope. Carbon Isotope,Isotope, Carbon,Isotopes, Carbon
D005591 Chemical Fractionation Separation of a mixture in successive stages, each stage removing from the mixture some proportion of one of the substances, for example by differential solubility in water-solvent mixtures. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Fractionation, Chemical,Chemical Fractionations,Fractionations, Chemical
D006859 Hydrogen The first chemical element in the periodic table with atomic symbol H, and atomic number 1. Protium (atomic weight 1) is by far the most common hydrogen isotope. Hydrogen also exists as the stable isotope DEUTERIUM (atomic weight 2) and the radioactive isotope TRITIUM (atomic weight 3). Hydrogen forms into a diatomic molecule at room temperature and appears as a highly flammable colorless and odorless gas. Protium,Hydrogen-1
D006868 Hydrolysis The process of cleaving a chemical compound by the addition of a molecule of water.

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