4-nitrocatechol and hydroquinone

Experiments have been performed with a semicontinuous batch reactor to compare the degradation efficiency of nitrobenzene in aqueous solution by the ultrasonic processes of single field, opposite dual fields, and orthogonal dual fields. Ultrasound with dual fields can improve the degradation efficiency of nitrobenzene compared to that of single field, and the improvement phenomenon is even more pronounced in the orthogonal dual-field system. The degradation reactions of nitrobenzene in the three processes all follow the pseudofirst-order kinetic model. The mechanism investigation indicates the degradation proceeds via hydroxyl radical (*OH) oxidation. The enhancement efficiency of orthogonal dual fields is attributed to an obvious synergetic effect, which accelerates the *OH initiation from 0.28 micromol L(-1) min(-1) for a single field to 0.98 micromol L(-1) min(-1) compared with 0.42 micromol L(-1) min(-1) for opposite dual fields, resulting in rapid formation of an increased diversity of byproducts and an advanced degree of mineralization of total organic carbon (TOC). The introduction of an ultrasonic field placed in the different spatial position causes a variable kinetic order during the removal of TOC. The degradation byproducts are identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry and ion chromatography, including p-, m-nitrophenol, malonic acid, nitrate ion, 4-nitrocatechol, phenol, maleic acid, oxalic acid, hydroquinone, 1,2,3-trihydroxy-5-nitrobenzene, and acetic acid.

Topics: Acetic Acid; Carbon; Catechols; Chromatography, Gas; Hydroquinones; Hydroxyl Radical; Ions; Kinetics; Maleates; Malonates; Nitrates; Nitrobenzenes; Nitrophenols; Oxalic Acid; Ultrasonics; Water

Pseudomonas cepacia RKJ200 (now described as Burkholderia cepacia) has been shown to utilize p-nitrophenol (PNP) as sole carbon and energy source. The present work demonstrates that RKJ200 utilizes 4-nitrocatechol (NC) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy, and is degraded with concomitant release of nitrite ions. Several lines of evidence, including thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, spectral analyses and quantification of intermediates by high performance liquid chromatography, have shown that NC is degraded via 1,2, 4-benzenetriol (BT) and hydroquinone (HQ) formation. Studies carried out on a PNP- derivative and a PNP+ transconjugant also demonstrate that the genes for the NC degradative pathway reside on the plasmid present in RKJ200; the same plasmid had earlier been shown to encode genes for PNP degradation, which is also degraded via HQ formation. It is likely, therefore, that the same sets of genes encode the further metabolism of HQ in NC and PNP degradation.

Topics: Burkholderia cepacia; Catechols; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hydroquinones; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Plasmids