Oxidation of amino groups by hydroxyl radicals in relation to the oxidation degree of the alpha-carbon.

Nitrogen organic compounds constitute a large class of aqueous pollutants. These compounds include not only azoic structures, nitrogen heterocycles, and nitrous groups but also amides and amines. This work consisted in studying the OH* induced oxidation of simple primary amines in dilute aqueous solution with special attention to mineralization of the nitrogen group as a function of the nature of the alpha-carbon. H2O2/UV and gamma-irradiation processes were used for the production of OH* radicals, and the molecules studied were one alpha-amino acid i.e., glycine (HOOCCH2NH2), and two primary amides i.e., acetamide (CH3CONH2) and oxamic acid (HOOCCONH2). It was shown that the oxidation of glycine leads to the formation of ammonia, whereas the acetamide molecule is first oxidized into oxamic acid ending in complete mineralization with production of nitrates. Reaction mechanisms are proposed which account for the observed inorganic nitrogen end product depending on the oxidation degree of the carbon atoms of the molecules. It follows that the present study will allow for prediction of the fate of nitrogen resulting from the oxidation of primary amino groups by OH* radicals.