Azo dye degradation by high-energy irradiation:: kinetics and mechanism of destruction

The kinetics and mechanism of dye destruction is discussed on the example of Apollofix Red (AR-28) and Reactive Black 5 (RB-5) radiolysis in dilute aqueous solution. The dose dependence of colour disappearance is linear when the reactive intermediate reacts with the colour bearing part of the molecule causing destruction of the conjugation here with nearly 100% efficiency. In this case, spectrophotometry can be used to follow-up dye decomposition. Such a linear dependence was observed when hydrated electrons or hydrogen atoms reacted with the dye. However, in the case of hydroxyl radical reactions some coloured products form with absorption spectra very similar to those of the starting dye molecules. For that reason, spectrophotometric measurements give false results about the concentration of intact dye molecules. Analysis made by the HPLC (high-pressure liquid chromatography) method reveals logarithmic time dependence in agreement with a theoretical model developed.