Degradation of a stilbene-type fluorescent whitening agent with hypochlorite: identification of the degradation products by capillary electrophoresis.

The E,E-(4,4'-bis[2-sulfostyryl]biphenyl) (DSBP) is a fluorescent whitening agent widely used by the textile and detergent industries to whiten fabrics. Hypochlorite used to bleach fabrics oxidizes DSBP slowly at room temperature and in a higher rate at 60 degrees C. The ions of metals such as Fe, Cu, and Mn accelerate the process considerably. At ambient temperature, the oxidation results from cleavage of the stilbene bonds and involves the formation of various intermediates that evolve to end products. The intermediates form within minutes to hours and the end products within months. At 60 degrees C or in presence of the previously mentioned transition metals, intermediates form within minutes and the end products within days. The end products of the oxidation are 4-sulfobenzaldehyde and 4,4'-bisaldehyde biphenyl; in the presence of excess of hypochlorite, however, the process yields their corresponding oxidized derivatives 4-sulfobenzoic acid and 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid. Despite the chlorinating ability of hypochlorite, the major degradation products formed contain no chlorine.