Chelation
Direct photolysis TD-DFT a b s t r a c tThe extensive usage of OTC and Cu 2þ in livestock and poultry industry caused high residues in natural environment. Co-contamination of OTC and Cu 2þ was a considerable environmental problem in surface waters. In this study, Cu 2þ mediated direct photolysis of OTC was studied. Cu 2þ chelating with OTC was found to greatly inhibit OTC photodegradation. To reveal the chelation mechanism of OTC-Cu complexes, multiple methods including UVeVis absorption spectra, Infrared (IR) spectra, mass spectroscopy, and density functional theoretical (DFT) modeling were performed. Four OTC-Cu complexes were proposed. Cu 2þ preferably bond to O 11 eO 12 site with the binding constants logK ¼ 8.19 and 7.86 for CuHLþ and CuL±, respectively. The second chelating site was suggested to be O2eO3 with the binding constants of logK ¼ 4.41 and 4.62 for Cu2HL3þ and Cu2L2þ, respectively. The suppressed quantum yield of OTC by Cu2þ chelation was accused for their intra-/inter-molecular electron transfer, by which the energy in activated states was distributed. The occurrence of electron transfer between BCD ring and A ring also from BCD ring to Cu was evidenced by the TD-DFT result only for the OTC-Cu complexes. Besides, the cyclic voltammetry measurement also suggested one OTC-Cu(II)/OTC-Cu(I) redox couple. These results suggested that the persistence of OTC in environmental surface waters will probably be underestimated for neglecting the chelating effect of Cu2þ. The photolysis quantum yield of OTC-Cu complexes, as well as the specific molar absorption constants, the equilibrium binding constants of Cu2þ with OTC could contribute to more accurate kinetic models of OTC.