On the sensitized photo-oxidation of alkylbenzenes in seawater

Several homologous monoalkylated benzenes were photo-oxidized as surface films on and dissolved in pure water and purified natural seawater by solar and equivalent artificial UV irradiation in the presence of anthraquinone as photo-sensitizer. The main reaction products were the 1-phenylalkanones, the corresponding secondary alcohols, benzaldehyde and, when the side chain contained four or more carbon atoms, the products of what appears to be a Norrish type II photo-degradation. The detection among the reaction products of an aldehyde with one carbon atom less than the olefin produced by the Norrish type II photo-degradation suggests a photolytic decomposition of 1-alkenes, resulting in the formation of highly reactive compounds capable of abiotic reactions in the electronic ground state with a variety of organic compounds occurring in seawater.