Radiation chemistry of aqueous solutions of acetonitrile and propionitrile 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/10.2307/3574355· OSTI ID:7360401

Draganic, Z D; Draganic, I G; Shushtarian, M J

A study was made of the radiolytic behavior of dilute, neutral, oxygen-free aqueous solutions of CH/sub 3/CN and C/sub 2/H/sub 5/CN. Small-molecular products were identified as RCHO, NH/sub 3/, CO/sub 2/, and H/sub 2/. The decomposition of nitrile is followed by high yields of formation of the nonvolatile nitrogen-containing compounds, G(N). The ..gamma..-irradiated solutions exhibit a positive biuret reaction. Several amino acids were identified among radiolytic products, and glycine and alanine were found to be the most abundant for CH/sub 3/CN and C/sub 2/H/sub 5/CH, respectively. Their yields increased after strong acid hydrolysis of the irradiated samples. The free radicals formed by reactions of RCN with H, OH, and e/sub aq/- were found to be important for the phenomena observed. It is suggested that the positive biuret reaction, ir spectra, and the release of amino acids on acid hydrolysis provide some evidence on the formation of peptidic materials and might be of interest for the evaluation of the role that ionizing radiation might have played in prebiotic chemical evolution in aqueous media.

• Research Organization: Boris Kidric Inst. of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade
• OSTI ID: 7360401
• 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
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
G VALUE
GAMMA RADIATION
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLYSIS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LYSIS
MIXTURES
NITRILES
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADICALS
RADIOLYSIS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVOLYSIS