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I feel as though I've talked about ozone 10 times in the last month. One of the many reasons I'm compiling a canna-chemistry compendium to answer stuff like this. As for my credentials--I am a chemistry graduate student, I've worked in industry, and am currently engaged in assymetric-organic research.
Ozone is an extremely powerful oxidant. The chemical formula is O3.
Electronegativity is the measure of how strongly an atom will pull electrons towards itself--it is essentially a measure of an atoms ability to stabilize negative charge--this property hold an inverse relationship with the atoms ability to stabilize a positive charge. Oxygen is the 2nd most electronegative atom in the periodic table meaning that it pulls electrons to itself very strongly and has a poor ability to stabilize/distribute positive charge.
The central oxygen atom of the ozone atom has a charge of +1. The maximum positive charge oxygen will hold in a stable atoms is < 1 (with a few advanced exceptions). Adding to its instability is the general rule of thumb that oxygen wants to make 2 and only 2 bonds. In ozone the central molecule makes 1 bond to each of the other 2 oxygen molecules, however, a "third" bond is created in the form of 2 "half-bonds" which are shared across the molecule. (Read about resonance forms to understand why this is).
As a result of this property ozone wants strongly to donate one or more of its oxygen atoms in order to stabilize its charge. This usually results in oxidation, which results in broken bonds. This chemical can kill plants and you in a number of different ways:
--Asphyxiation
--Carcinogenic action
--Production of other carcinogens
--Very dangerous for asthmatics (this is one reason its quite unethical to be exhausting unreacted ozone to the outside).
--Detonation
Furthermore a google search of "ozone and terpenes" will provide you with more scholarly papers than you can shake a stick at on the production of a Hydroxyl radical by reacting terpenes with ozone. This is precisely what you are doing to control the smell.
Hydroxyl radicals are every bit as dangerous as ozone, if not moreso, and for many of the same basic reasons. The molecule is unstable and wants to strongly gain or lose an electron, also resulting in broken bonds and potential cancer. this radical may go on to participate in any number of reactions which can cause more dangerous conditions. Ozone is also not limited to reacting with terpenes. This stuff reacts with EVERYTHING which is why it works so well.
The question is at what cost. I would absolutely never run ozone inside unexhasuted--and I would definitely feel guilty were I exhausting it into a populated area. As I've previously said this is flat out unethical and does not show a respect for the chemistry involved.
Ozone is an extremely powerful oxidant. The chemical formula is O3.
Electronegativity is the measure of how strongly an atom will pull electrons towards itself--it is essentially a measure of an atoms ability to stabilize negative charge--this property hold an inverse relationship with the atoms ability to stabilize a positive charge. Oxygen is the 2nd most electronegative atom in the periodic table meaning that it pulls electrons to itself very strongly and has a poor ability to stabilize/distribute positive charge.
The central oxygen atom of the ozone atom has a charge of +1. The maximum positive charge oxygen will hold in a stable atoms is < 1 (with a few advanced exceptions). Adding to its instability is the general rule of thumb that oxygen wants to make 2 and only 2 bonds. In ozone the central molecule makes 1 bond to each of the other 2 oxygen molecules, however, a "third" bond is created in the form of 2 "half-bonds" which are shared across the molecule. (Read about resonance forms to understand why this is).
As a result of this property ozone wants strongly to donate one or more of its oxygen atoms in order to stabilize its charge. This usually results in oxidation, which results in broken bonds. This chemical can kill plants and you in a number of different ways:
--Asphyxiation
--Carcinogenic action
--Production of other carcinogens
--Very dangerous for asthmatics (this is one reason its quite unethical to be exhausting unreacted ozone to the outside).
--Detonation
Furthermore a google search of "ozone and terpenes" will provide you with more scholarly papers than you can shake a stick at on the production of a Hydroxyl radical by reacting terpenes with ozone. This is precisely what you are doing to control the smell.
Hydroxyl radicals are every bit as dangerous as ozone, if not moreso, and for many of the same basic reasons. The molecule is unstable and wants to strongly gain or lose an electron, also resulting in broken bonds and potential cancer. this radical may go on to participate in any number of reactions which can cause more dangerous conditions. Ozone is also not limited to reacting with terpenes. This stuff reacts with EVERYTHING which is why it works so well.
The question is at what cost. I would absolutely never run ozone inside unexhasuted--and I would definitely feel guilty were I exhausting it into a populated area. As I've previously said this is flat out unethical and does not show a respect for the chemistry involved.
