Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Monitoring Equilibrium Changes in RNA Structure by 'Peroxidative' and 'Oxidative' Hydroxyl Radical Footprinting
Published on: October 17, 2011
Hydroxyl radical involvement in the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by ferrous and ferric-nitrilotriacetate
1Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire de Chimie et Microbiologie de l'Eau (CNRS UMR 6008), Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Poitiers, 40, Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86 022 Poitiers Cedex, France.
Abstract:
The relative rates of degradation of three hydroxyl radical probe compounds (atrazine, fenuron and parachlorobenzoic acid (pCBA)) by Fe(III)/H(2)O(2) (pH = 2.85), Fe(III)NTA/H(2)O(2) (neutral pH), Fe(II)/O(2), Fe(II)NTA/O(2), Fe(II)/H(2)O(2) and Fe(II)NTA/H(2)O(2) (neutral pH) have been investigated using the competitive kinetic method. Experiments were carried out in batch and in semi-batch reactors, in the dark, at 25 °C. The data showed that the three probe compounds could be degraded by all the systems studied, and in particular by Fe(II)NTA/H(2)O(2) and Fe(III)NTA/H(2)O(2) at neutral pH. The relative rate constants of degradation of the three probe compounds obtained for all the systems tested were identical and equal to 1.45 ± 0.03 and 0.47 ± 0.02 for k(Atrazine)/k(pCBA) and k(Fenuron)/k(pCBA), respectively. These values as well as the decrease of the rates of degradation of the probe compounds upon the addition of hydroxyl radical scavengers (tert-butanol, bicarbonate ions) suggest that the degradation of atrazine, fenuron and pCBA by Fe(II)NTA/O(2), Fe(II)NTA/H(2)O(2) and Fe(III)NTA/H(2)O(2) is initiated by hydroxyl radicals.
Related Concept Videos
Radical Autoxidation
Radical Formation: Homolysis
Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...
Radical Anti-Markovnikov Addition to Alkenes: Mechanism
The mechanism starts with chain initiation, which involves two steps. In the first chain initiation step, a weak peroxide bond is homolytically cleaved upon mild heating to form two alkoxy radicals. In the second initiation step, a hydrogen atom is abstracted by the alkoxy radical...
Radical Reactivity: Overview
![Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F55858.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
