Intermediates of the oxidation of naphthalene in water with the combination of hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation

The products of naphthalene decomposition by UV and UV/H2O2 treatment were studied by high performance liquid chromatography and GC/MS techniques. The first intermediates of naphthalene decomposition were too reactive to be detectable by HPLC or GC/MS. The intermediates of the next step were more permanent. The decomposition of naphthalene lead to the mixture of various aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids. In the UV experiment, bicyclic products and a semi-labile intermediate were detected, which later disappeared probably by polymerization.