RADIATION-CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF SULFOLANE IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS

It was found that the radiolysis of sulfolane in aqueous solutions results in fragmentation of the five-membered ring. The main products are acyclic sulfones, esters of sulfinic and sulfonic acids, and the byproducts are para-substituted benzenes. The main result of the radiolysis is the condensation process: the molecular weights of the products are 2.5-8 times higher than in sulfolane. The formation of the condensed acyclic sulfones proceeds with the elimination of one half of the initial sulfonyl groups. Sulfones with a composition of (C8H14O2.8)3 were isolated. The mechanism of the radiolysis of sulfolane is discussed.