Abstract
Sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate, (HOCH2SO2Na, HMS) is relatively stable in aqueous alkaline environments, but rapidly decomposes in acidic medium to give a variety of products that include sulfur dioxide. A detailed kinetic and mechanistic study of the decomposition of HMS in slightly acidic medium has shown a process that produces dithionite, S2O2-4, which is preceded by an induction period which persists for as long as molecular oxygen is present in the reaction solution. The complete consumption of molecular oxygen is a prerequisite for the formation of S2O2-4. Among some of the intermediates detected in the decomposition of HMS is the sulfite radical, SO-3. Comparisons are made between the decomposition mechanisms of thiourea dioxide (aminoiminomethanesulfinic acid) and HMS.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 289-296 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics |
Volume | 367 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 15 1999 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank the Ivanovo Academy of Chemistry and Technology for giving a leave of absence to S.V.M. S.V.M. is grateful to the Russian Foundation for Basic Research for financial support (Grant No. 98-03-32802). C.M. is grateful to Steve Leonard for helping with ESR experiments. This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. CHE-9632592).
Keywords
- Aminoiminomethanesulfinic acid
- Hydroxymethanesulfinate
- Reactive oxygen species
- Sulfite radical ion
- Sulfoxylate ion
- Sulfur dioxide radical ion
- Thioureas oxides
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology