Unveiling singlet oxygen spin trapping in catalytic oxidation processes using in situ kinetic EPR analysis

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) plays a pivotal role in numerous catalytic oxidation processes utilized in water purification and chemical synthesis. The spin-trapping method based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis is commonly employed for ¹O₂ detection. However, it is often limited to time-independent acquisition. Recent studies have raised questions about the reliability of the ¹O₂ trapper, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TEMP), in various systems. In this study, we introduce a comprehensive, kinetic examination to monitor the spin-trapping process in EPR analysis. The EPR intensity of the trapping product was used as a quantitative measurement to evaluate the concentration of ¹O₂ in aqueous systems. This in situ kinetic study was successfully applied to a classical photocatalytic system with exceptional accuracy. Furthermore, we demonstrated the feasibility of our approach in more intricate ¹O₂-driven catalytic oxidation processes for water decontamination and elucidated the molecular mechanism of direct TEMP oxidation. This method can avoid the false-positive results associated with the conventional 2D ¹O₂ detection techniques, and provide insights into the reaction mechanisms in ¹O₂-dominated catalytic oxidation processes. This work underscores the necessity of kinetic studies for spin-trapping EPR analysis, presenting an avenue for a comprehensive exploration of the mechanisms governing catalytic oxidation processes.