ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Action of Sodium Hypochlorite on α-Amino Acids

A. Kantouch and S. H. Abdel-Fattah

Textile Laboratory, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo (U.A.B.)

Abstract: The action of sodium hypochlorite on some a-amino acids as glycine, serine,, tyrosine, cystine, aspartic acid, lysine and arginine has been investigated. It was observed that chlorine reacted very quickly with most of these amino acids leading to the oxidation and/or formation of chloro derivatives of the amino acids, depending on the pH of the reaction. At pH 2 and 25°C, oxidation occurs mainly through the formation of the intermediates iV-chloro or jV-dichloro derivatives. Substitution of one of the hydrogen atoms of the amino groups by an acetyl group decreased considerably the rate of oxidation. A mechanism of the action of sodium hypochlorite on these amino acids is suggested.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 253a222.pdf

Chemical Papers 25 (3) 222–230 (1971)