Photochemical formation of sulfate from the photodegradation of dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) occurs in a variety of freshwater environments. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the molecular-level details behind this process. In order to address this knowledge gap, cysteine was selected as an environmentally relevant DOS model compound and was subjected to photosensitized degradation under well-defined laboratory conditions. Using state-of-the-art analytical techniques, we tracked the fate of the cysteine-S atom and we reconstructed the molecular events that ultimately lead to sulfate release. Our initial results indicate that at least two independent pathways can lead to sulfate production, which can both be initiated by triplet sensitizer-induced oxidation.

Understanding sulfate production from photosensitized cysteine degradation

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.