Radiation chemistry of aqueous solutions of hydrogen cyanide in the megarad dose range. [. gamma. Radiation]

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · Radiat. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3574354· OSTI ID:7346525

Draganic, Z D; Draganic, I G; Borovicanin, M

The radiolytic behavior of HCN was studied in dilute (0.1 M) oxygen-free solutions at their natural pH and at pH 2.4. The solutions were exposed to high doses of /sup 60/Co gamma rays (up to 16 Mrad) causing large decompositions (up to 90 percent). The decomposition yield, G(-HCN), and the radiation-chemical yields of formation of NH/sub 3/, HCHO, H/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, and of seven amino acids were determined. Also, the total yields of nitrogen in nitrogen-containing nonvolatile compounds, G(N), were measured. The irradiated solutions exhibited positive biuret reaction and the absorbancies depend on both the dose and the initial pH. Histidine, aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, alanine, and glycine were found in irradiated samples. Glycine was found to be the most abundant among the radiolytically produced amino acids; strong acid hydrolysis increases its yield by one or two orders of magnitude in samples irradiated initially at pH 2.4 as well as at their natural pH. The release of amino acids on hydrolysis and the positive biuret reaction suggest the presence of peptidic material in irradiated samples both at acid and neutral pH's. To account for these findings the formation of polymers (or their segments) having a peptidic structure was taken into consideration. The polymerization reactions were assumed to be initiated by the free radicals which were produced by HCN reactions with H, OH, ad e/sub aq/-species. It is concluded that the radiolysis of dilute aqueous solutions of HCN offers significant information on the eventual role of ionizing radiation in prebiotic chemical evolution in aqueous media.

• Research Organization: Boris Kidric Inst. of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade
• OSTI ID: 7346525
• Journal Information: Radiat. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Radiat. Res.; (United States) Vol. 66:1; ISSN RAREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400600* -- Radiation Chemistry
ALDEHYDES
AMINO ACIDS
AMMONIA
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
FORMALDEHYDE
G VALUE
GAMMA RADIATION
HYDRIDES
HYDROCYANIC ACID
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLYSIS
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LYSIS
MIXTURES
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOLYSIS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVOLYSIS