Ultrasound Chemical Effects on Pure Organic Liquids

Abstract

Molecular fragmentation of organic liquids was produced by cavitation due to ultrasound waves, even in the absence of water. The sonolysis of acetonitrile under argon yielded N(2), CH(4), and H(2); but under oxygen the products were N(2), CO, CO(2), and H(2)O. Pure nonaqueous carbon tetrachloride also underwent sonolytic decomposition under either argon or oxygen, with the production of elemental chlorine.

Ultrasound in polymer chemistry: Revival of an established technique

“…Initially, ultrasound‐induced polymerizations were limited to water as a reaction medium. The breakdown of organic solvents to form radicals was not observed until Anbar et al7 showed in 1965 that under ultrasonic irradiation, acetonitrile decomposes into nitrogen, methane, and hydrogen. Since then, many ultrasound‐initiated polymerizations in organic solvents, in the absence of water, have been reported.…”

Sonolysis of Chloroform

“…It would be desirable, if the experimentalists would always compare their results with respect to a simple standard system such as water itself (H 202 production) or 0.1 M KI (12 production). We have repeated the experiments on the sonolysis of carbon tetrachloride [7] and have found a rate of decomposition smaller, by more than a factor of ten, than for chloroform.…”

“…The decomposition of chloroform was also observed, the product detected being hydrogen chloride [6). Later on, a weak decomposition of acetonitrile (observed products: N 2 , H 2 , and CH 4 ) and of carbon tetrachloride (observed product: C1 2 ) was found [7). In more recent times, the sonolysis of nitrobenzene [8,9), metal carbonyls [10), and decane [11] have been reported.…”

Photosonochemical decomposition of aqueous 1,1,1 ‐ trichloroethane

“…The nonaqueous sonochemical decomposition of carbon tetrachloride forms products (Cl_ and C.C1,) due mainly to sonolysis effect (3,4). When the same sonochemical decomposition of CCI, happened in water, the dominant effect was changed to secondary reactions caused by the degraded water molecule (HQ-+ H«) to form a number of products (Cl., C0_, HC1, C"C1, and HOC1) (5-7).…”