Ozone (O3) Therapy - Powerful Bio-oxidative Healing Tool
Chemistry behind Ozone Therapy
Ozone (O3 ) Chemistry
What is ozone?
Ozone is an unstable, strong
oxidizing gaseous
molecule comprised of 3
oxygen atoms
In nature,
ozone (O3 )
is formed by the action of UV radiation
on
oxygen ( O2 )
- which causes the 2 atoms in an
oxygen molecule (O2 ) to split up,
after which each single oxygen atom joins
another O2 molecule to make
ozone (O3 ).
3 O2 + UV
Radiation
→ 2 O3
Ozone
can also be created when an electrical "spark" acts on
oxygen . E.g. that "clean" smell you detect after a lightning storm is
ozone .
Ozone formation
In nature,
ozone is created
by Near UV radiation
3
3 O2 2
O3 Exothermic
reaction (light energy to heat)
Molecular Oxygen + 240nm< UV< 310nm
→ Ozone
(O3 ) Absorbs UV radiation
Achieved in 2 Steps:
Step 1 - By PHOTOLYSIS:
The OXYGEN MOLECULE
EXCITED OXYGEN
ATOMS O1 *
3 O2
→
O1 *
+
O1 *
240nm< UV< 310nm
FREE DIRADICAL OXYGEN MOLECULE
Electrons in lowest energy state
Exothermic
EXCITED
OXYGEN ATOMS
Technically written as O (1 D)
Each with 2 unpaired electrons
and Absorbed "Splitting"energy
make these HIGHLY REACTIVE
w/excitation energy of 190 kJ/mol
Step 2 - FORMATION of
OZONE
BY
ELECTRONEGATIVITY:
EXCITED OXYGEN ATOM joins an Oxygen molecule
O1 *
+
3 O2
→
O3
See below
EXCITED OXYGEN ATOM
FREE DIRADICAL OXYGEN MOLECULE
OZONE
Ozone by Electronegativity
Ozone
(Lewis Dot Diagrams)
Some important ozone reactions
Ozone is a strong
oxidant .
Oxidation occurs when any atom loses one
or more electrons, giving it the ability to combine with other
substances. E.g. an
oxygen atom can combine with
other substances to form water and gases.
- Oxidation potential of
ozone is 2.7 - meaning it is much more reactive than
oxygen, which has an oxidation potential
of 1.23
Ozone
strongly absorbs UV radiation
to produce
singlet oxygen MOLECULES and
active oxygen ATOMS
O3
+
hv (λ <= 313nm)
→
O2 (1
Δg )
O1 D
)
O3 +
hv (λ <= 268nm)
→
O2 (1
Σ+ or 1 Δg )
O1 D
)
Ozone reacts with biological molecules to produce the
reactive oxidant agent
singlet oxygen
1 O2 * . Singlet oxygen is a name given to
several higher-energy species of molecularO2
Kanofsky JR ,
Sima P Singlet oxygen production from the reactions of
ozone with biological
molecules.
J Biol Chem. 1991 May 15;266(14):9039-42.
PubMed
Ozone
reacts with the unsaturated fatty acids of the lipid layer in cellular
membranes, forming hydro-peroxides.
Lipid peroxidation products include
alkoxyl RO ▪ and
peroxyl radicals ROO ▪
1 O2 * ,
ozonides, carbonides, carbonyls, alkanes and alkenes.
• If targeted cell membrane does not have
sufficient protective antioxidant and
antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx and
reductase), it will be damaged and destroyed by
reactive hydro-peroxide products -
such as
1 O2 *
RO ▪
and
ROO ▪ .
Healthy cell membranes contain protective
antioxidant
enzymes, many bacterial cell walls lack them.
E.g. Glutathione catalyzed by
glutathione peroxidase
reduces/neutralizes lipid hydroperoxides
Ozone is destroyed by
hydroxyl radicals. The reaction converts
ozone into oxygen.
O3
+ OH• →
O 2 HO 2
HO2
+ O3 → OH•
+ 2O2
EXCITED OXYGEN ATOM
oxidizes
water
to hydrogen peroxide.
O1 *
+ H2 O →
H2 O2
Ozone will oxidize most metals
(except gold, platinum and iridium)
to oxides of their metals in their highest oxidation state
E.g. 2 Cu+ + 2 H3 O+ +
O3 →2 Cu2+
+ 3 H2 O + O2
Ozone oxidizes nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide:
NO + O3
→ NO2 + O2
Ozone oxidizes ammonia to ammonium nitrate-but does not react with
ammonium salts
2 NH3 + 4
O3
→ NH4 NO3 + 4 O2 + H2 O
Ozone reacts with carbon to form carbon dioxide:
C + 2 O3
→ CO2 + 2 O2
Ozone oxidizes sulfides to
sulfates
PbS + 4 O3
→ PbSO4 + 4 O2
Ozone gas reacts with hydrogen sulfide to form sulfur
dioxide:
H2 S +
O3
→ SO2 + H2 O
Sulfuric acid can be produced from
ozone ,
water and either elemental sulfur or sulfur dioxide:
S + H2 O + O3 → H2 SO4
3 SO2 + 3 H2 O +
O3
→ 3 H2 SO4
Ozone Decay
Ozone is unstable at
high concentrations and decays to oxygen if it is does not contact something
oxidizable -
ozone has half-life of ~ 30 mins. in atmospheric conditions, but proceeds
more rapidly with increasing temperature and pressure
2 O3
→ 33 O2
In 2steps:
O3
→ 3 O2
O *
O * + O * 3 O2
Ozone layer depletion
Ozone depletion is
caused by two non toxic, non flammable, normally very slowly or non reactive
groups of gases: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons.
Used as refrigerant,
propellants in aerosol spray cans, cleaning solvents in the manufacture of
electronic circuit boards and as a blowing agent in the manufacture of foam
insulation and furniture foam.
The CFC or halon molecule makes its way to the upper atmosphere where UV
light can separate chlorine atoms from the CFC molecule and bromine from the
halon. Once released, the chlorine or
bromine molecule is capable of destroying
ozone molecules in a
continuous, repeating chemical reaction ozone molecules before finally
settling out below the
ozone layer
The process by which catalysts such as chlorine (E.g.
in the CFC molecule shown above), bromine, nitrogen oxide and hydrogen destroy atmospheric
ozone (O3) .
