A DFT Study Toward the Reaction Mechanisms of TNT With Hydroxyl Radicals for Advanced Oxidation Processes.

The degradation pathway of environmental contaminant 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was investigated computationally at the SMD(Pauling)/M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory. The dominant decomposition pathway of TNT → 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol → 4,6-dinitro-2-hydroxybenzylalcohol → 4,6-dinitro-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde was provided, and the corresponding predicted products and their distributions are in a good agreement with available experimental data on TNT degradation by Fenton reaction. It was shown that the mechanism of addition-elimination is crucial for this stage of the reaction. The reaction of H atom abstraction is a minor competing pathway. The details on transition states, intermediate radicals, and free energy surfaces for all proposed reactions are given and make up for a lack of experimental knowledge.