Thermochemical factors affecting the dehalogenation of aromatics

Daniel Sadowsky, Kristopher McNeill, Chris Cramer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

Halogenated aromatics are one of the largest chemical classes of environmental contaminants, and dehalogenation remains one of the most important processes by which these compounds are degraded and detoxified. The thermodynamic constraints of aromatic dehalogenation reactions are thus important for understanding the feasibility of such reactions and the redox conditions necessary for promoting them. Accordingly, the thermochemical properties of the (poly)fluoro-, (poly)chloro-, and (poly)bromobenzenes, including standard enthalpies of formation, bond dissociation enthalpies, free energies of reaction, and the redox potentials of Ar-X/Ar-H couples, were investigated using a validated density functional protocol combined with continuum solvation calculations when appropriate. The results highlight the fact that fluorinated aromatics stand distinct from their chloro- and bromo- counterparts in terms of both their relative thermodynamic stability toward dehalogenation and how different substitution patterns give rise to relevant properties, such as bond strengths and reduction potentials.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)14194-14203
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume47
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 17 2013

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