Mechanism of formation of phenoxyl radicals during the photo-oxidation of phenol in the presence of FeIII

Abstract

The primary photochemical reactions of iron(III) either in the form of Fe(ClO₄)₃ or FeCl₃ with phenol in aqueous solution have been studied by nanosecond laser photolysis (λ = 347 nm). The mechanism leads to the formation of phenoxyl radical PhO˙ and involves the photo-oxidation of phenol by Cl˙ and Cl₂ ^˙– radicals in the presence of added Cl^– anion.