Photolytic oxidation of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether and related compounds by aqueous hypochlorite

Abstract

The photochemical oxidation of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (EDE) and related substrates by aqueous sodium hypochlorite has been studied. In the presence of a large excess of hypochlorite, EDE is completely photolysed to give CO₂ and H₂O. On the other hand, irradiation of an equimolar mixture of the substrate and aqueous hypochlorite gives CH₃OH, HCHO, HCOOH, CH₃OCH₂CH₂OH, CH₃OCH₂CHO, CH₃COOH, and a trace of CHCl₃, which is the only chlorine-containing product. The photo-oxidation of the other substrates gives analogous products.