The Deodorant Reactions of Chelate Resin as Studied by ESR

Abstract

Chelate resin, together with cation-exchange resin, is used as deodorant. Much is not known about the cobalt ion, which is the center metal atom in the chelating system, particularly about its oxidation state and coordination state in the process of deodorant reactions. Therefore, an ESR study of this resin has been tried. The ESR spectra observed, when the resin was set in a vacuum line and either NH₃ or H₂S was introduced into it, showed that there are two differently reactive (with respect to redox reactions) cobalt ions in the system. They are suggested to be two differently coordinated cobalt ions, namely six- and four-coordinated ions. The four-coordinated ion has higher reactivity. It has also been suggested from the results of ESR spectra that the four-coordinated cobalt ion can, catalytically, oxidize H₂S with air.