Oxidation of ascorbate by chlorite

CHED 1205

Lindsay M. Bonvini, Lbonvini@student.stonehill.edu1, Richard O'Brien, rjobrien@student.stonehill.edu1, Jennifer Barcus1, Maria A. Curtin, mcurtin@stonehill.edu1, and Kenneth Kustin, kmkustin@ix.netcom.com2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Stonehill College, 320 Washington Street, Easton, MA 02357, (2) Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110
This research was done to further our understanding of the oxidation of ascorbate by chlorite. With careful exclusion of trace concentrations of metal ions, the reaction is not rapid, despite the strength of chlorite as an oxidizing agent and the lability of ascorbate as a reducing agent. Product distribution studies suggest pathways additional to electron transfer. It is known that one by-product of this reaction is chlorine dioxide, the appearance of which has been attributed to a decrease in pH of the reaction solution. Our research shows that this is probably not the case. Uv-vis spectrophotometry was used to monitor the decrease in ascorbate ion and the appearance of chlorine dioxide in solution as a function of time. Nuclear magnetic resonance, 13C and 1H, was used to monitor and identify possible intermediates.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Inorganic Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008