Formaldehyde aqueous-phase chemistry

Background non-methane hydrocarbon levels are generally less than 20 ppbC. A typical sample (Table I) indicates that the major components are ethane, propane and acetylene. Because only picomolar amounts of these hydrocarbons would exist in the cloud water, the effects of these background levels on aqueous-phase chemistry are expected to be negligible. The effect of the organic acids is not expected to be significant unless sources of OH exist. Formaldehyde is known to inhibit aqueous SO2 oxidation, but its concentration here is insignificant compared to the concentrations of SO2 intentionally... 

When NMHC are significant in concentration, differences in their oxidation mechanisms such as how the NMHC chemistry was parameterized, details of R02-/R02 recombination (95), and heterogenous chemistry also contribute to differences in computed [HO ]. Recently, the sensitivity of [HO ] to non-methane hydrocarbon oxidation was studied in the context of the remote marine boundary-layer (156). It was concluded that differences in radical-radical recombination mechanisms (R02 /R02 ) can cause significant differences in computed [HO ] in regions of low NO and NMHC levels. The effect of cloud chemistry in the troposphere has also recently been studied (151,180). The rapid aqueous-phase breakdown of formaldehyde in the presence of clouds reduces the source of HOj due to RIO. In addition, the dissolution in clouds of a NO reservoir (N2O5) at night reduces the formation of HO and CH2O due to R6-RIO and R13. Predictions for HO and HO2 concentrations with cloud chemistry considered compared to predictions without cloud chemistry are 10-40% lower for HO and 10-45% lower for HO2. 

Figs. 5.32 and 5.33 summarize the Ci chemistry in the gas and aqueous phase. Whereas CH4 is very slowly oxidized in air (but provides methyl peroxide as a ubiquitous compound), methanol and particularly formaldehyde quickly oxidizes (the latter also photodissociates) to inorganic CO and finally CO2. As shown in... 

A recent innovation in in-situ microencapsulation is the development of acid-triggered release of pesticide from the microcapsules [12]. Diols and aldehydes are reacted to form an acid labile acetal moiety. The acetal is then reacted with isocyanate to create a prepolymer. The prepolymer is a polyisocyanate cmitaining the acid labile moiety and suitable for in-situ shellwall polymerization. The prepolymer is dissolved into a pesticide, emulsified into water, and shellwall formed in-situ. Under alkaline or neutral pH conditions in a container, the insecticide is safely contained in the microcapsules. Acid could be added to the spray tank to rapidly release capsule contents prior to application. Alternate shellwall chemistry for in-situ microencapsulation utilizes etherified urea-formaldehyde prepolymers in the oil phase that are self-condensed with acid catalyst to produce encapsulating aminoplast shellwalls [13]. This process does not have the problem of continuing CO2 evolution. Water-soluble urea-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde prepolymers can be selected to microencapsulate water or aqueous solutions [14]. 

Solid-Liquid Phase Transfer.—Very few examples are known in onium ion chemistry where the anion to be phase transferred is part of a solid phase rather than in aqueous solution. This contrasts with the situation in crown ether chemistry, as will be discussed later in this review. A useful method, which is cheaper than alternatives, for the generation of dichlorocarbene in neutral conditions involves warming solid sodium trichloroacetate in chloroform, in the presence of quaternary salts. Formaldehyde acetals (25) can be synthesized in good yields by the action of solid KOH on alcohols or phenols dissolved in methylene dibromide containing a quaternary ammonium ion, and a phosphonium salt catalyses the alkylation of solid potassium phthalimide in toluene. Solid-liquid phase transfer mediated by polyamines has been reported. ... 

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