A new model humic acid (HA) have been synthetized from 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (juglone, J), an allelopathic compound occuring in leaves, nut shells, exsudates of roots and barks of Juglans genera. Aqueous solutions of J were autooxidised at different pH 6-10 with mineral matrices: bentonite, glass and silica. The very slow autooxidation reaction was monitored by means of chemiluminescence (CL) imaging and kinetics supported by a highly sensitive CCD camera Molecular Light Imager. In the course of autooxidation that lasted three weeks, an extremely low-intensity of CL was detected The reaction liquid was further treated according to the IHSS protocol to isolate humic acid fractions. Elemental analysis, UV-VIS and FTIR absorption spectra as well as fluorescence excitation and emission spectra were measured to characterise this new HA.
The effect of UV radiation on absorption, fluorescence spectra and dynamics of phototransformation of five different humic acids (HA) of natural and synthetic origin were investigated. Two types of synthetic HA were prepared: one containing only C, H and O atoms, and another with content of C, H, O and N atoms. Natural HA were also diversified with respect to their origin. We used UV-C radiation (predominantly the wavelength of 254 nm) to provide a wide spectrum of photochemical mechanisms.