Nitrogen dioxide ions, decomposition

The reaction in water at pH 7.4 has been much studied since the discovery of the importance of nitric oxide. The products are as for the thermal and photochemical reactions, except that the final product is nitrite ion. This is to be expected since nitric oxide in aerated water at pH 7.4 also yields quantitatively nitrite ion25, by it is believed the series of equations 7-9, which involves oxidation to nitrogen dioxide, further reaction to give dinitrogen trioxide which, in mildly alkaline solution, is hydrolysed to nitrite ion. Under anaerobic conditions it is possible to detect nitric oxide directly from the decomposition of nitrosothiols using a NO-probe electrode system26. Solutions of nitrosothiols both in... 

Another "OH generating reaction is peroxynitrite decomposition to hydroxyl radical and nitrogen dioxide (see sect. 1.12). Also, actions of ionizing radiation and ultrasounds yielding water molecule decomposition are additional sources of "OH. The hydroxyl radical is probably the main reactive species in the so-called metal-catalyzed oxidation systems (or mixed-function oxidation systems) used in experiments where ascorbate and metal ions are employed (though formation of other products such as high-valency iron species ferryl Fe+4 or perferryl Fe+5 forms cannot be excluded) (N2, S50). 

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