title: Formation of refractory ring-expanded triazine intermediates during the photocatalyzed mineralization of the endocrine disruptor amitrole and related triazole derivatives at UV-irradiated TiO2/H2O interfaces.
abstract: Amitrole (ATz, 3-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole) is a widely employed herbicide with strong estrogenic activity that can lead to abnormalities of the thyroid gland and can cause mutations. The photocatalytic transformation of ATz was carried out at the UV-irradiated TiO2/H2O interface, along with the triazole derivatives Tz (1H-1,2,4-triazole) and DaTz (3,5-diamino-1H-1,2,4-triazole) to assess the decomposition of these herbicides, to identify intermediates, and to elucidate some mechanistic details of the ATz degradation. Conversion of the nitrogens of these triazoles to NH4+ and/ or NO3- ions occurs competitively and depends on the number of amine functions on the five-membered triazole rings. Photomineralization of the substrates in terms of loss of nitrogen to NH4+/NO3- was rather low (ca. 25-40%) for each of the triazoles, whereas evolution of CO2 (loss of TOC) was more significant (60-70%), indicating considerable retention of nitrogen in the intermediate products. UV-Vis spectroscopy, TOC assays, FT-IR spectroscopy, proton NMR spectrometry, electrospray LC-MS, and molecular orbital calculations were brought to bear in assessing the temporal course of the photocatalyzed process(es). Results show that after cleavage of the triazole ring, the various intermediate fragments recombine to yield ring-expanded six-membered triazine intermediates, which slowly degrade to give the refractory cyanuric acid under the conditions used.
authors.affiliation: Frontier Research Center for the Global Environment Science, Meisei University, 2-1-1 Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo 191-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Serpone
mesh_terms: D000640:Amitrole / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014226:Triazenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D017672:Nitrogen Compounds; D014226:Triazenes; D014230:Triazoles; D000640:Amitrole