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Formation of nitroarenes from the reaction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with dinitrogen pentaoxide

Journal Article · · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00141a017· OSTI ID:5623089

Reactions of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (fluoranthene (FL), pyrene (PY), benz(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CHRY), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), and perylene (PER)), deposited on glass-fiber filters, with gaseous N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ in air were investigated in an all-Teflon chamber. Pyrene, FL, BaP, and BaA gave significant yields of nitro derivatives after only a 30-min exposure. In control exposures to NO/sub 2/ plus HNO/sub 3/ mixtures or to HNO/sub 3/ alone, the yields of nitro derivatives of PY, FL, and BaA were very low relative to those in the N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ exposures. The reactivity ranking of these PAH toward gaseous N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ was PY > FL > BaP > BaA > PER > CHRY. This order is significantly different from that previously observed for nitration of PAH deposited on glass-fiber filters and exposed to a flow of gaseous NO/sub 2/ + HNO/sub 3/ or for nitration of PAH in solution by NO/sub 2//N/sub 2/O/sub 4/ mixtures. It also differs from the reactivity ranking determined in this study for the reaction of these PAH with N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ in CCl/sub 4/ solution of PER > BaP > BaAgreater than or equal to PY > FL greater than or equal to CHRY. Environmental implications are discussed.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Riverside
OSTI ID:
5623089
Journal Information:
Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 19:1; ISSN ESTHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English