Benzophenone-sensitized lipid peroxidation in linoleate micelles

Benzophenone-photosensitized peroxidation in linoleic acid micelles (Type I reaction) has been investigated and quantum yields of both sensitizer photolysis and lipid peroxidation have been obtained. Benzophenone as well as its derivative, benzophenone-4'-heptyl-4-pentanoic acid (BHPA) have been utilized as sensitizers in this study. A quantum yield of 1.2 for hydroperoxide formation, compared with a benzophenone disappearance quantum yield of 0.41 (in the same linoleate micellar solution) was obtained; yields of 1.3 and 0.6 were found for comparable systems in which BHPA was the sensitizer. Although such data are consistent with the peroxidation mechanism of chain reaction, it is necessary to know the yields of initiating species to arrive at chain reaction lengths in these systems. Such yields have been determined by flash photolysis. The dependencies of sensitizer photolysis and hydroperoxide yields on linoleate concentration have also been determined in order to elucidate the effects of micelle formation or molecular organization on the peroxidative process. Additionally, for comparison in a saturated surfactant (lipid) system hydrogen abstraction was investigated by photolysis techniques in sodium dodecyl sulfate alone using these two sensitizers.