ESR-spin trapping study on the sonochemistry of liquids in the presence of oxygen. Evidence for the superoxide radical anion formation.

The sonolysis of water and some organic liquids such as ethylene glycol, methanol and chloroform in the presence of oxygen, at 20 and 475 kHz ultrasound frequencies has been investigated by the ESR-spin trapping technique. 5,5-Dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), 3,3,5,5-tetramethylpyrroline-N-oxide (TMPO) and N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenyl nitrone (PBN) were able to trap superoxide radical anion, generated as the result of the sonication of the organic media. The addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) resulted in a dramatic decrease of the ESR signal intensity of the superoxide radical adduct. In addition, the thermolysis of the liquids under ultrasound was shown by ESR detection of the spin adducts of the radicals formed by homolytic fragmentation. Occasionally, the nature of the detected spin adduct was dependent on the sonication time or on the frequency of the ultrasonic radiation. Experiments carried out in the presence of 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane (MNP) resulted in the detection of radicals originating from thermal decomposition of the spin trap, showing its lability under ultrasonic radiation.