Mechanism of formation of phenoxyl radicals during the photo-oxidation of phenol in the presence of FeIII
Abstract
The primary photochemical reactions of iron(III) either in the form of Fe(ClO4)3 or FeCl3 with phenol in aqueous solution have been studied by nanosecond laser photolysis (λ = 347 nm). The mechanism leads to the formation of phenoxyl radical PhO˙ and involves the photo-oxidation of phenol by Cl˙ and Cl2˙– radicals in the presence of added Cl– anion.