Solar Irradiation of Bilirubin: An Experiment in Photochemical Oxidation
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A. E. Pillay [1] ; F. M. Salih [1]
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[1] Sultan Qaboos University
Sultan Qaboos University
Omán
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- Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 83, Nº 9, 2006, pág. 1327
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
An experiment on photochemical oxidation employing solar irradiation of bilirubin followed by spectrophotometric absorption was designed. Students can benefit from appreciating the utility of solar rays and its implementation in obtaining parameters such as chemical reaction rates and half-life. The experiment is student-friendly and involves solar irradiation of the sample in NaOH with absorption measurements at 453 nm. The bilirubin undergoes depletion, and the declining concentration can be expressed exponentially as a function of time. The instantaneous reaction rates, half-life, and rate constant can be derived directly from the exponential plot. Possible factors that affect the reaction, such as autooxidation and thermal effects, can be included in the experiment. The procedure is facile and didactic from the perspective of kinetics and from the prospect of isolating the photoproduct (biliverdin), which is a useful component in biosynthetic research.
