Diethyl phthalate (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid diethyl ester, DEP) is one of a group of widely used plasticizers, which can lead to serious environmental problems. Because of manufacturing and application, DEP can be released into the atmosphere where it can undergo transport and chemical transformation. To assess the atmospheric behavior of pollutants, it is critical to know their atmospheric reactions. In this paper, the reaction mechanism and possible oxidation products for the OH-initiated atmospheric reaction of DEP were theoretically investigated by using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The geometries and frequencies of the reactants, intermediates, transition states, and products were calculated at the MPWB1K/6–31+G(d,p) level, and the energetic parameters were further refined by the MPWB1K/6–311+G(3df,2p) method. The present study shows that H abstractions from the CH3 and CH2 groups, as well as OH addition to the benzene ring, are energetically favorable reaction pathways for the reaction of DEP with OH radicals. Detailed degradation products are provided.

This study reports the synthesis of a kind of biomass-based plasticizer: epoxy eleostearic acid catechol ester (EEAE), originating from biomass resources eleostearic acid and catechol by way of esterification and epoxidation. Its effect on the plasticization, mechanical properties and migration resistance of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) film was investigated. The results showed that epoxy groups were covalently bonded on the branched chains of EEAE and the epoxy groups and ester groups of EEAE formed hydrogen bonds with the α-hydrogen of PVC, which had a better plasticizing effect on PVC than commercial diisobutyl phthalate. When the mass of EEAE increased from 0.2 to 0.8 g in PVC films, the glass transition temperature (T g) decreased from 86.7 to 54°C and the elongation at break of the PVC films increased from 124.24 ± 6.00 to 321.12 ± 6.13%, while the tensile strength decreased from 40.12 ± 1.23 MPa to 19.67 ± 2.33 MPa, which illustrated that EEAE had an efficient plasticizing effect on PVC. The plasticizer showed marginal resistance to volatilization and solvent extraction. The thermal stability and compatibility of PVC films plasticized with EEAE were also improved.

Polyfluorinated sulfonamides (FSAs, F(CF2)nSO2NR1R2) are present in the atmosphere and may serve as the source of perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs, CF3(CF2)nCOO–) in remote locations through long-range atmospheric transport and oxidation. Density functional theory (DFT) molecular orbital theory calculations were carried out to investigate OH radical-initiated atmospheric oxidation of a series of sulfonamides, F(CF2)nSO2NR1R2 (n = 4, 6, 8). Geometry optimizations of the reactants as well as the intermediates, transition states, and products were performed at the MPWB1K level with the 6-31G+(d,p) basis set. Single-point energy calculations were carried out at the MPWB1K/6-311+G(3df,2p) level of theory. The OH radical-initiated reaction mechanism is given and confirms that the OH addition to the sulfone double bond producing perfluoroalkanesulfonic acid directly cannot occur in the general atmosphere. Canonical variational transition-state (CVT) theory with small curvature tunneling (SCT) contribution was used to predict the rate constants. The overall rate constants were determined, k(T) (N-EtFBSA + OH) = (3.21 × 10−12) exp(–584.19/T), k(T) (N-EtFHxSA + OH) = (3.21 × 10−12) exp(–543.24/T), and k(T) (N-EtFOSA + OH) = (2.17 × 10−12) exp(–504.96/T) cm3 molecule−1 s−1, over the possible atmospheric temperature range of 180–370 K, indicating that the length of the F(CF2)n group has no large effect on the reactivity of FSAs. Results show that the atmospheric lifetime of FSAs determined by OH radicals will be 20–40 days, which agrees well with the experimental values (20–50 days), 20 thus they may contribute to the burden of perfluorinated pollution in remote regions.

N-methyl perfluorobutane sulfonamidoethanol (NMeFBSE), a new product of the 3M Company, is currently widely used in many countries and territories. It is prone to volatilize to the atmosphere where it can undergo long-range transport and chemical transformations. In this work, the reaction mechanism for the OH-initiated atmospheric oxidation of NMeFBSE was investigated. The geometrical parameters and vibrational frequencies of all of the stationary points were calculated at the MPWB1K level with the 6-31G+(d,p) basis set. Single-point energy calculations were carried out at the MPWB1K/6-311+G(3df,2p) level. The results indicate that the channel of the formation of C4F9 and HSO3N(CH3)CH2CH2OH resulting from OH addition to NMeFBSE and hydrogen abstractions from the −CH3 group in NMeFBSE are energetically favorable. The main degradation products include perfluorinated carboxylic acids (C3F7COOH, C2F5COOH, CF3COOH), HSO3N(CH3)CH2CH2OH, NMeFBSA (C4F9SO2NH(CH3)), C4F9SO2N(CH3)CH2CHO, and C4F9SO2N(CH3)CH2COOH. The reaction mechanism for the formation of NMeFBSA is reported for the first time. Using the atmospheric fate of NMeFBSE as a guide, it seems that N-methyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol (NMeFOSE) contributes to the ubiquity of perfluoroalkyl sulfonate and carboxylate compounds in the atmosphere.