Photo- and Radiation-Chemical Generation and Thermodynamic Properties of the Aminium and Aminyl Radicals Derived fromN-Phenylglycine and (N-Chloro,N-phenyl)glycine in Aqueous Solution: Evidence for a New Photoionization Mechanism for Aromatic Amines

Models for the photodegradation of nitrogen-containing pollutants and the photodamage to amino acids and proteins have been investigated. The behavior of α-amino acid and N-halo-α-amino acid models is studied using nanosecond laser flash photolysis. N-Centered radicals have been found as main products of the oxidation process (see equation) and their thermodynamic properties are described.