PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS OF AROMATIC KETONES WITH NUCLEIC ACIDS AND THEIR COMPONENTS I—. PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE BASES AND NUCLEOSIDES*.

Abstract— The photochemical reactions of benzophenone and acetophenone with purine and pyrimidine derivatives in aqueous solutions have been investigated by flash photolysis and steady-state experiments. Upon excitation of these two ketones in aqueous solutions, two transient species are observed: molecules in their triplet state and ketyl radicals. The triplet state lifetimes are 65 μsec for benzophenone and 125 μsec for acetophenone. The ketyl radicals disappear by a second order reaction, controlled by diffusion. In the presence of pyrimidine derivatives, the triplet state is quenched and the ketyl radical concentration is decreased without any change in its kinetics of disappearance. Ketone molecules in their triplet state react with purine derivatives leading to an increase in the yield of ketyl radicals due to H-atom abstraction from the purines. Steady-state experiments show that benzophenone and acetophenone irradiated in aqueous solution at wavelengths longer than 290 nm undergo photochemical reactions. The rate of these photochemical reactions is increased in the presence of pyrimidine derivatives and even more in the presence of purine derivatives. Following energy transfer from the triplet state of benzophenone to diketopyrimidines, cyclobutane dimers are formed. The energy transfer rate decreases in the order orotic acid > thymine > uracil. Benzophenone molecules in their triplet state can also react chemically with pyrimidine derivatives to give addition photoproducts. All these results are discussed with respect to photosensitized reactions in nucleic acids involving ketones as sensitizers.     

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLEX FORMATION IN THE SENSITIZATION OF Eu(III) EMISSION BY OROTIC ACID

Abstract— Orotic acid (I) and 3-methylorotic acid (II) are the only orotic acid derivitives which efficiently sensitire emission from Eu(III) in D₂O solution. This emission is only weakly sensitized by I-methylorotic acid (III), 1,3-dimethylorotic acid (IV), the methyl and isopropyl esters of orotic acid (V) 6-acetyluracil (VI) and not sensitized at all by the bases uracil. thymine and their nucleosides. Substituent groups on either the carboxyl group or the N-l position of the ring thus prevent efficient energy transfer from the excited orotic acid to Eu(III). These structural requirements for efficient energy transfer are the same as the structural requirements for formation of a stable. bidentate. ground state complex between Eu(III) and orotic acid (VII) (Sarpotdar and Burr, 1978).
We, therefore, propose that sensitization of Eu(III) emission by orotic acid at pH 5 is an example of energy transfer within the bidentate complex of Eu(III) and orotic acid. We also propose that the complexed orotic acid is itself excited by eollisional energy transfer from free triplet excited orotic acid (since the concentration of complex measured to be present. 5–7%, is too low to account for the efficiency of the sensitization). We also propose that emission from the excited complexed Eu(III) can be either from the complexed ion or from free Eu(III)* resulting from dissociation of the complex during the lifetime of the excited ion.
The efficiency of Eu(III) sensitized emission is shown to depend on the concentrations of Eu(III). orotic acid and pH with relationships kinetically consistent with the above hypothesis.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION BETWEEN PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACIDS: PHOTOADDITION OF TRYPTOPHAN TO PYRIMIDINE BASES*1

Abstract— The photochemical interactions between tryptophan and nucleic acid bases were studied. When aqueous solutions of tryptophan were irradiated (Λ > 260 nm) at neutral pH in the presence of each of the nucleic acid bases, pyrimidine bases but not purine bases were altered. Air was found to decrease the rate of reaction. Two classes of photoproducts were isolated by thin layer and ion-exchange chromatography and partially characterized. One was the dihydro-pyrimidine forms of the base (see Reeve and Hopkins, 1979) and the other consisted of tryptophan-pyrimidine photoadducts. Four tryptophan-uracil and two tryptophan-thymine adducts each with a 1:1 molecular stochiometry were found. Spectroscopic measurements and a positive reaction with Ehrlich's reagent indicate that the indole nucleus remained intact, but that the pyrimidine base was reduced at the 5, 6 double bond. The absence of a positive ninhydrin reaction and the effect of pH on the quantum yield of the photoadduct formation indicated that the ionized a-amino acid group of tryptophan was involved in photoadduct formation. Indole derivatives lacking an a-amino group were also found to form photoadducts with pyrimidine bases. The experimental results are consistent with a reaction mechanism involving tryptophan excitation to the first excited singlet state as the initial event. Radical scavenging experiments indicate that tryptophan free radicals, formed by electron dissociation from the excited state, react with the ground state pyrimidine.     

苯胺引发丙烯腈光聚合的机理研究

苯胺引发丙烯腈(AN)光聚合是通过电荷转移经激基复合物机理进行的。形成激基复合物途径有两条,一是苯胺和AN分子在基态形成的电行转移复合物受光激发;二是苯胺的激发单线态与基态AN分子相互作用。形成的激基复合物再经质子转移产生两个自由基引发聚合。     

Mechanisms of photoinitiated cleavage of DNA by 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives.

Using water-soluble 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives, the mechanisms of photosensitized DNA damage have been elucidated. Specifically, a comparison of rate constants for the photoinduced relaxation of supercoiled to circular DNA, as a function of dissolved halide, oxygen and naphthalimide concentration, has been carried out. The singlet excited states of the naphthalimide derivatives were quenched by chloride, bromide and iodide. In all cases the quenching products were naphthalimide triplet states, produced by induced intersystem crossing within the collision complex. Similarly, the halides were found to quench the triplet excited state of the 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives by an electron transfer mechanism. Bimolecular rate constants were < 10(5) M-1 s-1 for quenching by bromide and chloride. As expected from thermodynamic considerations quenching by iodide was 6.7 x 10(9) and 8.8 x 10(9) M-1 s-1 for the two 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives employed. At sufficiently high ground-state concentration self-quenching of the naphthalimide triplet excited state also occurs. The photosensitized conversion of supercoiled to circular DNA is fastest when self-quenching reactions are favored. The results suggest that, in the case of 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives, radicals derived from quenching of the triplet state by ground-state chromophores are more effective in cleaving DNA than reactive oxygen species or radicals derived from halogen atoms.     

Electronic aspects of the photodimerization of pyrimidine bases and their derivatives

Results of calculations for the lower excited triplet and singlet states of pyrimidine bases and a number of their derivatives, calculated by the self-consistent field (SCF) method for open shells and by the configuration interaction (CI) method for self-consistent orbitals, are presented. It is shown that excitation to the T₁ and S₁ states primarily affects the C₅—C₆ bond while triplet excitation is almost completely localized on this bond. This leads to exceptionally pronounced weakening of the C₅—C₆ bond in the T₁ state. All other conditions being equal, the conditions in the T₁ state are more favorable for the dimerization of the bases than in the S₁ state. A correlation between the degree of localization of the triplet excitation at the C₅—C₆ bond and the ease of photodimerization has been established. The experimental facts associated with the formation of thymine free radicals in DNA are explained.The authors thank G. G. Dyadyusha and O. V. Shramko for discussing our results. The program for calculation of the bond orders by the CI method was kindly given to us by G. M. Kagan and G. I. Kagan.     

ANION AND SOLVENT EFFECTS ON THE RATE OF REDUCTION OF TRIPLET EXCITED THIAZINE DYES BY FERROUS IONS

Abstract— The lifetimes of the triplet excited states of thionine and methylene blue were measured in aqueous and 50 v/v% aqueous acetonitrile solutions acidified with 0.01 N sulfuric or trifluoromethyl-sulfonic acid. The rate constants for reaction of the triplet excited dyes with ferrous ions were measured in the same solutions. The triplet lifetimes in the absence of added quenchers were insensitive to a change in acid from trifluoromethylsulfonic to sulfuric or to a change in solvent from water to 50v/v% aqueous acetonitrile (τ for triplet thionine ˜7.5 μs, τ for triplet methylene blue ˜4.5 μs). In contrast, the rate constant for reaction of the triplet dyes with ferrous ions increased by nearly a factor of 10 with a change in acid from trifluoromethylsulfonic to sulfuric. In solutions containing sulfate ions this reaction rate constant increased with increasing sulfate concentration and with a change in solvent from water to 50 v/v% aqueous acetonitrile. The results are discussed in terms of the possibility of association of the positively charged reactive ions with sulfate anions. Quenching of the triplet excited dyes by ferric ions or by ground state dye molecules was shown to be negligible at the concentration used for the ferrous ion quenching study.     

Transient species of fullerenes studied with pulse radiolysis and laser photolysis

The excited triplet of C60 or C70 is generated via either direct excitation by laser light or energy transfer from excited states of solvent to C60 and C70. The cation radical of C60 is produced either via hole transfer from cation radical of CCl4 to C60 or via electron transfer from excited triplet of C60 to CCl4. C60 and C70 could be added to trichloromethyl radical to produce adduct radicals with different mechanisms.     

Derivatives of orotic acid and its analogs

The synthesis of oxo derivatives of pyrrolo[3, 4-d]pyrimidine has been effected by the reaction of the lactone of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-orotic acid with ammonia or primary amines. In a number of cases, in place of the free organic bases their salts with mineral acids were used successfully. A number of 2, 4, 7-trioxo derivatives of pyrrolo[3, 4-d]pyrimidine and some new derivatives of orotic acid have been synthesized.     

Studies on the Mechanism of the Photopofymerization of Acrylonitrib initiated by Aniline

We verified the formation of exciplex in the photopolymeriza-tion of acrylonitrile initiated with aniline.There are two routes to form exciplex,i.e.either through the excitation of the charge transfer complex of aniline with acrylonitrile or from the interaction of the excited singlet state aniline and the ground state acrylonitrile.Then it is followed by proton transfer proqess,leading to the generation of two kinds of radicals,which are responsible for the initiation.     

Photochemistry and photopolymerization activity of novel perester derivatives of fluorenone: a conventional and laser flash photolysis study

The photochemistry of three novel t-butylperester derivatives of fluorenone was examined and compared with unsubstituted fluorenone and a mono-t-butylperester of benzophenone using both conventional microsecond and nanosecond laser flash photolysis. On conventional microsecond flash photolysis in 2-propanol, all four fluorenone compounds gave transient absorption in the region 300–400 nm due to a ketyl radical formed from the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the solvent by the upper excited triplet n—π* state of the fluorenone chromophore. This assignment was confirmed by a pH-dependent study on the transient absorption spectra. The nitro-t-butylperester derivative of fluorenone gave additional absorption above 400 nm due to species associated with the nitro group. No evidence for benzoyloxy radical formation could be found in non-hydrogen-atom-donating solvents with microsecond flash photolysis which is associated with homolysis of the perester groups. On nanosecond laser flash photolysis of the fluorenone compounds at 355 nm excitation in acetonitrile and hexa-fluorobenzene, transient absorptions were observed in the region 320–640 nm due to the corresponding triplet states. All the t-butylperester derivatives showed residual absorbances at longer time delays which were tentatively assigned to the corresponding benzoyloxy radicals produced by homolysis of the perester groups. In contrast, the mono-t-butylperester of benzophenone, included for comparison only, showed very weak transient absorption in the region 320–640 nm compared with that of the strong triplet of benzophenone under the same excitation conditions. The triplet absorptions and lifetimes of the fluorenone compounds were correlated with their photopolymerization activities in bulk methylmethacrylate monomer. In oxygenated solutions, the triplet absorptions of fluorenone and benzophenone were effectively quenched; however, long-lived transient growths were observed for all the t-butylperester derivatives. The intensities of these novel transient absorptions appear to correlate with the total number of t-butylperester groups in the fluorenone molecule and tentative assignments are discussed.     

Triplet excited states and radical intermediates formed in electron pulse radiolysis of amino-substituted fluorenones

Electron pulse radiolysis of four differently substituted amino derivatives of fluorenone, namely, 1-amino-, 2-amino- 3-amino-, and 4-aminofluorenone, has been carried out to study the effect of structure on the spectroscopic and kinetic characteristics of the triplet excited states as well as the transient free radical intermediates formed under reducing and oxidizing conditions. The triplet states of these compounds have been generated in benzene by pulse radiolysis and in other solvents by flash photolysis technique and their spectral and kinetic properties have been investigated. Hydrated electron (e_aq⁻) has been found to react with these fluorenone derivatives to form the anion radical species with a diffusion-controlled rate constant. The spectral and kinetic properties of the transient ketyl and anion radicals have been studied by generating them in aqueous solutions of suitable pH. The pK_a values of ketylanion radical equilibria are in the range of 6.8–7.7 for these derivatives. The oxidized species have been generated by reaction with the azide radical. Hydrogen atom adducts as well as the cation radicals of these derivatives have also been generated by pulse radiolysis and characterized.     

Die Beeinflussung des photochemischen Verhaltens von Farbstoffmolekeln in Lösung durch Fremdsubstanzen. Lösungen von Chinizarin in aliphatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen in Gegenwart aromatischer Verbindungen

The acceleration of the photolysis of several anthraquinone derivatives by admixture of various substances, notably of carbonyl compounds ans lead(IV) salts has been studied in a variety of solvents. The sensitization of the photolysis results from the production of radicals either directly from the irradiated lead salts or from the solvent upon hydrogen atom abstraction by the excited carbonyl compounds, probably in the triplet state. The reaction of these radicals with the dye results in the formation of several derivatives of its leuco form, whose absorption in the visible and ultraviolet closely resemble that of the unsubstituted leuco form. These reactions are observed in very dilute solutions, in which intermolecular energy transfer is not expected to occur.     

Quinone sensitized electron transfer photooxidation of nucleic acids: chemistry of thymine and thymidine radical cations in aqueous solution

The 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MQ) sensitized photooxidation of nucleic acid derivatives has been studied by laser flash photolysis and steady state methods. Thymine and thymidine, as well as other DNA model compounds, quench triplet MQ by electron transfer to give MQ radical anions and pyrimidine or purine radical cations. Although the pyrimidine radical cations cannot be directly observed by flash photolysis, the addition of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (TMPD) results in the formation of the TMPD radical cation via scavenging of the pyrimidine radical cation. The photooxidation products for thymine and thymidine are shown to result from subsequent chemical reactions of the radical cations in oxygenated aqueous solution. The quantum yield for substrate loss at limiting substrate concentrations is 0.38 for thymine and 0.66 for thymidine. The chemistry of the radical cations involves hydration by water leading to C(6)-OH adduct radicals of the pyrimidine and deprotonation from the N(1) position in thymine and the C(5) methyl group for thymidine. Superoxide ions produced via quenching of the quinone radical anion with oxygen appear to be involved in the formation of thymine and thymidine hydroperoxides and in the reaction with N(1)-thyminyl radicals to regenerate thymine. The effects of pH were examined in the range pH 5-8 in both the presence and absence of superoxide dismutase. Initial C(6)-OH thymine adducts are suggested to dehydrate to give N(1)-thyminyl radicals.     

Characterization of transient species in laser photolysis of aromatic amino acids using acetone as photosensitizer

The photochemical processes of aromatic amino acids were investigated in aqueous solution using acetone as photosensitizer by KrF (248 nm) laser flash photolysis. Laser-induced transient species were characterized according to kinetic analysis and quenching experiments. The intermediates recorded were assigned to the excited triplet state of tryptophan, the radicals of tryptophan and tyrosine. The excited triplet state of tryptophan produced via a triplet-triplet excitation transfer and the radicals arising from electron transfer reaction has been identified. Neither electron transfer nor energy transfer between triplet acetone and phenylalanine can occur in photolysis of phenylalanine aqueous solution which contains acetone. Furthermore, triplet acetone-induced radical transformation: Trp/N-Tyr→Trp-Tyr/O was observed directly in photolysis of dipeptide (Trp-Tyr) aqueous solution containing acetone, and the transformation resulting from intramolecular electron transfer was suggested.     

MAGNETIC FIELD EFFECTS ON THE PHOTOHEMOLYSIS OF HUMAN ERYTHROCYTES BY KETOPROFEN AND PROTOPORPHYRIN IX

Abstract— Application of a static external magnetic field (3350 G) during UV-irradiation (>300 nm) reduced the time for 50% photohemolysis of human erythrocytes by the phototoxic drug ketoprofen (3-benzoyl-α-methylbenzoacetic acid) from 96 min to 78 min. This observation can be attributed to a magnetic field induced decrease in the rate of intersystem crossing (k_ISC) of the geminate triplet radical pair generated by the reduction of ketoprofen in its triplet excited state by erythrocyte membrane constituents, probably lipids. The decrease in k_JSC results in an increase in the concentration and/or lifetime of free radicals that escape from the triplet radical pair. Thus the critical radical concentration needed to cause membrane damage and cell lysis is reached sooner in the presence of the magnetic field. In contrast, the photohemolysis induced by the photodynamic agent protoporphyrin IX was not affected by the magnetic field. Protoporphyrin IX photohemolysis, which is initiated by singlet oxygen, does not involve the initial generation of a triplet radical pair and so is not influenced by the magnetic field. The enhancement of ketoprofen-induced photohemolysis by an externally applied magnetic field is the first example of a magnetic field effect on a toxicological process involving free radicals.     

FLASH PHOTOLYSIS STUDY OF ALIPHATIC AMINO ACIDS AND PEPTIDES IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION*

Abstract— The intermediates produced in the photolysis of oxygen-free aqueous solutions of a number of aliphatic amino acids and peptides were observed spectrophotometrically using the fast-reaction technique of flash photolysis. Included among the compounds examined are the N-acetyl derivatives of glycine, alanine, sarcosine, glutamic acid and glycylglycine; the esters and amides of these N-acetyl compounds; diketopiperazines; the amino acids glycine, alanine and β-alanine; and finally the oligopeptides di-, tri- and tetraglycine. The direct optical excitation of these compounds was found to lead primarily to a photo-induced decarboxylation reaction:
The transient spectra of the radicals produced have been identified. The quantum yields of these processes were found to be directly proportional to the p K _a of the carboxyl groups of the corresponding ground-state molecules, and hence to the concentration of the non-ionized carboxylic acids. The φ's of these processes for the ionized acids were close to zero. The dependence of φ upon pH is correlated to the absorption spectra of these compounds. The quantum yields of the corresponding esters were lower but independent of pH. No intermediates were observed from excitation of the amine derivatives. Other photolytic reactions are suggested. The photo-decarboxylation of alanine and diglycine were found to be monophotonic, while that of N-acetyl alanine, N-acetyl diglycine, and tetraglycine were found to be biphotonic. A triplet excited state precursor is indicated for the latter group of compounds. These and other results are discussed.     

Change in spin state and enhancement of redox reactivity of photoexcited states of aromatic carbonyl compounds by complexation with metal ion salts acting as Lewis acids. Lewis acid-catalyzed photoaddition of benzyltrimethylsilane and tetramethyltin via photoinduced electron transfer

The lowest excited state of aromatic carbonyl compounds (naphthaldehydes, acetonaphthones, and 10-methylacridone) is changed from the n,pi triplet to the pi,pi singlet which becomes lower in energy than the n,pi triplet by the complexation with metal ions such as Mg(ClO(4))(2) and Sc(OTf)(3) (OTf = triflate), which act as Lewis acids. Remarkable positive shifts of the one-electron reduction potentials of the singlet excited states of the Lewis acid-carbonyl complexes (e.g., 1.3 V for the 1-naphthaldehyde-Sc(OTf)(3) complex) as compared to those of the triplet excited states of uncomplexed carbonyl compounds result in a significant increase in the redox reactivity of the Lewis acid complexes vs uncomplexed carbonyl compounds in the photoinduced electron-transfer reactions. Such enhancement of the redox reactivity of the Lewis acid complexes leads to the efficient C-C bond formation between benzyltrimethylsilane and aromatic carbonyl compounds via the Lewis-acid-promoted photoinduced electron transfer. The quantum yield determinations, the fluorescence quenching, and direct detection of the reaction intermediates by means of laser flash photolysis experiments indicate that the Lewis acid-catalyzed photoaddition reactions proceed via photoinduced electron transfer from benzyltrimethylsilane to the singlet excited states of Lewis acid-carbonyl complexes.     

DEPENDENCE OF INTERSYSTEM CROSSING ON EXCITATION ENERGY IN OROTIC ACID

Abstract— Photochemical dimerization in orotic acid in aqueous solution has been studied as a function of oxygen concentration, orotic acid concentration and the wavelength of irradiation under two pH conditions. One dimer was detected. Analysis of the data enabled us to obtain a minimum estimate of the efficiency of intersystem crossing, ø_ISC. from singlet to triplet levels. This efficiency increases by a factor of two with increasing energy of excitation over the wavelength range 240–302 nm, and by a similar factor between pH 3 and pH 1. The maximum value obtained was 0.15 for irradiation at 240 nm at pH 1. The relation between quantum yield and ø_ISC is discussed and possible mechanisms to explain this variation of ø_ISC with energy are proposed.     

Laser-induced two-photon ionization of acridine in aqueous solution

The present work reports the formation of hydrated electrons upon excitation of a'queous solutions of acridine using the thud harmonic of a Nd-glass laser. The experimental results indicate that acridine is photoionized via a consecutive two-photon mechanism in which the intermediate states are both the fust excited singlet and the lowest triplet. However the triplet pathway is shown to be less efficient than the singlet pathway.