Benzophenone-photosensitized autoxidation of linoleate in solution and sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles

Diffusion studies show that benzophenone (BP), linoleic acid, and methyl linoleate partition completely into the micelles of phosphate buffer/0.10 M SDS. Water-soluble compounds 4-sulphomethylbenzophenone, sodium salt (BP − ), azobis(2-amidinopropane*HCl) (ABAP) and 2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-6-hydroxychroman-2-carboxylate (Trolox) show partial partitioning into the micelles. BP- and BP − -photosensitized oxidation of linoleic acid in 0.50 M SDS exhibited characteristics of free radical chain reactions including: (1) inhibition by phenolic antioxidants, (2) no retardation by singlet oxygen quenchers, and (3) the formation of conjugated hydroperoxides with cis,trans to trans,trans ratios of geometrical isomers typical of autoxidation. Quantitative kinetic studies of the order in substrate, RH, and the rate of chain initiation, R i , show that the classical rate law, −d[O 2 ]/dt = k p /2k t 1/2 [RH]R i 1/2 applies to BP-photoinitiated autoxidation of linoleic acid in SDS and the oxidizability (k p /2k t 1/2 = 4.42 × 10 −2 M −1/2 s − 1/2) is the same as that found with a thermal initiator. The rotating sector method gave absolute rate constants for linoleic acid autoxidation in 0.50 M SDS for propagation (k p = 36.2 M −1 s −1 ) and termination (2k t = 3.52 × 10 5 M −1 s −1 ), significantly lower than values in polar organic solvents; attributed to solvation of polar peroxyls in aqueous SDS. Depressed inhibition rate constants (k inh ) for α-tocopherol, Trolox, and pentamefhylhydroxychroman (PMHC) in 0.50 M SDS compared to k inh in tert-butyl alcohol are attributed to hydrogen bonding effects on the peroxyl radicals and on the inhibitors.