Degradation Pathway of Ozone Oxidation of Phenols and Chlorophenols as Followed by LC-MS-TOF

This contribution summarizes the temporal intermediates produced during the ozonation of phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol, as followed by liquid chromatography coupled to a time of flight mass spectrometer (LC-MS-TOF). A 2 × 10⁻³ M solution of the phenolic compounds was ozonated in a sintered glass reactor at an ozone dose of 0.14 mg/min (O₂/O₃ flow 10 mL/min). Identified intermediates showed that catechol pathway was the predominant route for phenol oxidation with acrylic acid being the end product. Hydroxylative dechlorination of 2-chlorophenol also gave catechol, and the reaction products were similar to that of phenol. Hydroxylation and ring opening via the 4-chlorocatechol pathways were the predominant route for the ozonation of 4-chlorophenol, while 2,4-dichlorophenol followed both hydroxylation and hydroxylative dechlorination mechanism. Several novel intermediates and coupling products were identified and reaction schemes leading to breakdown products are provided for each phenolic compound.