Oxidative degradation of glycyl–glycine by PMS in the neutral medium

Amino acids and peptides present in waste water may produce byproducts which are potentially unsafe and may lead to serious health and environmental problems. Removal of these parent compounds by the use of the environmentally benign oxidant can be of much use to the human kind and the environment. Degradation of these peptides can be done by the Oxidation of amino acid residues which is considered as one of the best degrading methods. The kinetics and oxidative degradation of dipeptide, glycol–glycine by peroxomonosulphate in neutral medium (phosphate buffer, pH 6-8) was studied at 278K. The rate was the first order in [PMS] and glycyl–glycine. Variation of ionic strength and effect of dielectric constant has no effect on the rate of the reaction. The main product of the reaction was confirmed as (2-oxo-acetylamino)-acetic acid (OAA) by IR and C NMR. A suitable mechanism explaining the degradation of dipeptide by PMS is proposed in this paper.